§ Mr. Duffyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of gross national product was taken in taxation, including local taxation and social security contributions, in the latest convenient year in this country; and what information he has about the proportion in other comparable industrialised countries.
§ Mr. MacDermotThe table below shows total taxation, covering taxes on income, taxes on expenditure (including rates) and social security contributions, as a percentage of gross national product at factor cost. Death duties, which are regarded as taxes on capital, are excluded from the figures. The latest year for which comparable information is available for other countries is 1963.
Taxation as a percentage of gross national product at factor cost, 1963 United Kingdom … 32.7 France … 42.9 Italy … 35.2 Netherlands … 35.0 United States of America … 31.8 West Germany … 41.0