HC Deb 06 April 1987 vol 114 cc79-80W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1957 the amount set aside by industrial and commercial companies out of profits for depreciation and the amount spent on new plant and equipment.

Mr. MacGregor

[pursuant to his reply, 30 March 1987, c. 395]: Information, taken from the DTI's analysis of the published accounts of industrial and commercial companies in Great Britain, on the amounts set aside for depreciation is given in the table below. There are a number of breaks in the series; the analysis has only covered the whole industrial and commercial company sector since 1977. The accounts used in the analysis are the consolidated annual accounts of industrial and commercial company groups, which may include financial and overseas subsidiaries, and the accounts of independent companies registered in Great Britain. Great Britain subsidiaries of companies registered in Northern Ireland or overseas are also included. Fuller notes on coverage are given in the references.

Figures of gross domestic fixed capital formation in plant and machinery by industrial and commercial companies are given in the table below. These figures, which are mainly based on inquiries by the Business Statistics Office, include the purchase of new and secondhand assets whereas sales of plant and machinery are deducted. The figures relate to assets located in the United Kingdom and are published annually in the CSO Blue Book—table 10.3 of the 1986 edition. Figures are not available for years prior to 1965.

Amounts set aside by industrial and commercial companies for depreciation
£ million
1957 393
1958 443
1959 486
1960 560
1961 621
1962 683
1963 749
1964 905
1965 1,012
1966 1,097
1967 1,124
1968 1,254
1969 1,323
1970 1,431
1971 1,591
1972 1,754
1973 1,992
1974 2,222
1975 2,513
1976 2,896
£ million
1977 3,217
New series:
1977 5,348
1978 6,525
1979 7,749
1980 8,967
1981 10,569
1982 10,600
Large Companies only:
1983 9,245
1984 11,755

1957–59:

Quoted companies only.

Source: Economic Trends No. 102 April 1962.

1960–64:

Quoted and unquoted. All public and some private companies with net assets of £500,000 or more or gross income of £50,000 or more in 1960.

Source: Business Monitor 2nd and 4th Issues.

1965–68:

Based on all public and some private companies with net assets of £500,000 or more or gross income of £50,000 or more in 1964.

Source: Business Monitor, Misc. 3, 2nd and 4th Issues.

1969–74:

Based on companies with net assets of £2 million or more or gross income of £200,000 or more in 1968.

Source: Business Monitor, Misc. Annual MA3, 11th Issue.

1975–77:

Based on net assets of £5 million or more or gross income of £500,000 or more in 1973.

Source: Business Monitor, MA3, 11th Issue.

1977–84:

Based on representative sample of all industrial and commercial companies. Figures for 1983–84 are preliminary estimates based on large companies only and include write-offs.

Source: Business Monitor, MA3, 12th and 17th Issues.

Gross Domestic Fixed Capital Formation in Plant and Machinery by Industrial and Commercial Companies
£ million
1965 1,313
1966 1,392
1967 1,397
1968 1,545
1969 1,688
1970 1,957
1971 2,013
1972 1,980
1973 2,315
1974 2,899
1975 3,525
1976 4,446
1977 5,502
1978 6,839
1979 8,094
1980 8,507
1981 8,174
1982 8,825
1983 9,458
1984 11,244
1985 14,611
1986 15,632

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