HC Deb 20 July 1961 vol 644 cc154-5W
Mr. Ellis Smith

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will set out in tabular form the total cost and percentage of the national income of national Government and local authorities, respectively, for

£ million
1938 1946 1950 1960
Central Government
Expenditure 995 3,853 3,483 5,983
Percentage of gross national product at factor cost 19.2 43.9 29.8 26.8
Local authorities
Expenditure 561 724 1,105 2,351
Percentage of gross national product at factor cost 10.8 8.2 9.4 10.5
Local authority expenditure financed by central Government grants (excluded from central Government expenditure and included in local authority expenditure in the figures above) 142 253 315 787

Notes

(1) The figures for expenditure correspond to those in Table 42 of the National Income Blue Book, 1960. They cover current and capital expenditure on goods and services, debt interest, subsidies and grants (including payments from the National Insurance Funds) but exclude loans and other transactions in financial assets.

(2) Interest paid by local authorities to the central Government is included in local authority expenditure and set off against total interest payments by the central Government.