§ Dr. David Owenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in what years since the war has there been an absolute cut in personal consumption; and what was the percentage fall for those years and the percentage rise or fall in public expenditure during the same years.
§ Mr. DiamondConsumers' expenditure at constant prices has fallen in only three years since the war. Figures for those years are compared with the change in public expenditure on current goods and services and fixed assets in the table below. These are the only components of total public expenditure for which figures are available at constant prices, comparable with those for consumers' expenditure. Public expenditure on subsidies, grants and loans cannot be satisfactorily revalued at constant prices.
CHANGES IN EXPENDITURE AT 1958 PRICES COMPARED WITH PRECEDING YEAR Consumers' expenditure £ million per cent. 1948 … … —15 — 1951 … … —179 —1½ 1952 … … —64 —½
Public expenditure on current goods and services and gross fixed capital formation £ million per cent. 1948 … … * * 1951 … … +341 +7½ 1952 … … +445 +9½ *Figures are not available for years before 1948.