§ Sir Ian Orr-Ewingasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax was refunded to Bristol Siddeley on their voluntary repayment of£3.96 million.
46WKingdom in their extent and coverage and comparable figures are therefore not available. Figures for expenditure on social security are, however, given in the National Accounts publication issued by the Statistical Office of the European Communities and these are shown in the table below as a percentage of gross national product at factor cost. The publication points out that the concepts and definitions are interpreted differently by the various countries and that the figures are not therefore comparable. It does not, however, give the definitions used by each country and the differences between these figures and those of the United Kingdom cannot therefore be specified in full. It is known, however, that some countries include under social security the whole of the retirement pensions paid to former public service employees, and it is believed that they may also include payments towards the cost of medical care in the absence of a comprehensive national health service.
§ Mr. MacDermotI cannot give information about the tax affairs of particular taxpayers.