§ Mr. Higginsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates have been made by the Government or their associated public bodies as to the state of the Government or national balance sheet; and whether any future publication of such a balance sheet is planned.
§ Mr. LawsonThe Central Statistical Office publishes balance sheet information in a number of places
(i) tables published annually in the June edition of "Financial Statistics" give figures for financial assets and liabilities by sector at market value. For the non-bank private sector only, this information is supplemented by tables published in each edition of "Financial Statistics".(ii) the annual publication "United Kingdom National Accounts" (the "Blue Book") gives estimates for each sector, and the nation as a whole, of the stock of fixed capital at replacement costs, both gross and net of depreciation.(iii) the annual publication "United Kingdom Balance of Payments" (the "Pink Book") shows the United Kingdom's overseas assets and liabilities.(iv) the February edition of "Financial Statistics" gives a table which analyses the debt of the public sector at nominal value by type of instrument and sector of holder.(v) the February edition of "Financial Statistics" also gives a table showing the balance sheet of the personal 88W sector (physical assets and financial assets and liabilities) at market value. Full balance sheets of this kind for all sectors were last published in "Economic Trends", November 1980 with data up to the end of 1975.