§ Mr. Craven-Ellisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total number of savings groups in the United Kingdom on 31st December 1940, 1941 and 1942, respectively; the weekly average of savings over the same years; and the estimated annual national income for the years ended 1940, 1941 and 1942?
§ Sir K. WoodIn reply to the first part of the Question, the figures are: for 1940, 169,911; for 1941, 255,395; for 1942, 304,315. In reply to the second part, my hon. Friend will realise that savings take many forms and for an estimate of total savings in 1940 and 1941, I would refer my hon. Friend to Table D of the White Paper entitled "An Analysis of the Sources of War Finance and an Estimate of the National Income and Expenditure," published in April, 1942, as Command Paper 6347. Table I of the same Paper gives, corresponding estimates of the National Income. Figures for 1942 are not yet available, but I shall consider the question of their publication in connection with my next Budget statement.