Social Services (Expenditure) (Hansard, 15 May 1962)

§ Mr. P. Browne
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the total estimated expenditure on the social services, current and capital, in the years 1960–61 and 1961–62 by the Exchequer, the National Insurance Fund and local authorities, respectively.

§ Sir E. Boyle
The figures in the table below cover expenditure on education, child care, school meals and milk, welfare foods, National Health Service, National Insurance, National Assistance, war pensions, non-contributory pensions, and family allowances. They also include housing. To avoid double counting, grants from the Exchequer to the National Insurance Funds and to local authorities are excluded from the figures given for Central Government expenditure.
115W

— £ million

1960–61 1961–62 (provisional)

Central Government:

Current expenditure 1,325 1,368

Capital expenditure 63 81

National Insurance Funds^*:

Current expenditure 1,056 1,235

Local authorities†:

Current expenditure 1,029 1,121

Capital expenditure 391 427

Total all authorities, current and capital 3,864 4,232

^* Grants from the Exchequer to the National Insurance Funds were £187 million in 1960–61 and £206 million in 1961–62.

† Grants from the Exchequer to local authorities, mainly in respect of social services expenditure and housing, totalled £645 million in 1960–61 and £701 million in 1961–62.

§ Mr. P. Browne
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the percentage of central Government revenue devoted to current expenditure on the social services for the years 1960–61 and 1961–62.

§ Sir E. Boyle
Current expenditure by the Central Government on the social services and housing, including grants to the National Insurance Funds but excluding grants to local authorities, was 23.5 per cent. of Central Government revenue (excluding national insurance contributions) in 1960–61 and about 22.2 per cent. in 1961–62. If current grants to local authorities, which are mainly but not exclusively for social services, are also included, the corresponding figures are 33.4 per cent. and 32.0 per cent. Central Government revenue has been defined as in Table 38 of the National Income Blue Book for 1961, which differs in several respects from the Exchequer receipts "above the line".

§ Mr. P. Browne
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the estimated percentage of the national income spent by all public authorities on the social services in 1961; and what were the corresponding figures for 1951 and 1960.

§ Sir E. Boyle
Expenditure on the social services and housing by all public authorities in 1961 is estimated at 17.6 per cent. of the gross national product at116W factor cost, compared with 15.9 per cent. in 1951 and 17.1 per cent. in 1960. These figures relate to education, child care, school meals and welfare foods, the National Health Service, national insurance, non-contributory and war pensions, national assistance, family allowances and housing, and include current and capital expenditure, subsidies and grants.

—	£ million
1960–61	1961–62 (provisional)
Central Government:
Current expenditure	1,325	1,368
Capital expenditure	63	81
National Insurance Funds^*:
Current expenditure	1,056	1,235
Local authorities†:
Current expenditure	1,029	1,121
Capital expenditure	391	427
Total all authorities, current and capital	3,864	4,232
^* Grants from the Exchequer to the National Insurance Funds were £187 million in 1960–61 and £206 million in 1961–62.
† Grants from the Exchequer to local authorities, mainly in respect of social services expenditure and housing, totalled £645 million in 1960–61 and £701 million in 1961–62.