§ Sir C. Osborneasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give in column form the total annual expenditure of central Government for each year from 1946.
§ Mr. DiamondThe total annual expenditure of central Government, excluding payments from the National Insurance Funds, etc., in each financial year from 1946–47 was as follows:
Financial year £m. 1946–47 4,428 1947–48 3,846 1948–49 3,652 1949–50 3,871 1950–51 3,749 1951–52 4,611 1952–53 4,904 1953–54 4,717 1954–55 4,874 1955–56 5,116 1956–57 5,599 1957–58 5,687 1958–59 5,830 1959–60 6,148 1960–61 6,563 1961–62 7,141 1962–63 7,212 1963–64 7,723 1964–65 8,543 1965–66 9,721 1966–67 (estimate) 10,511 Source: Annual Financial Statement.