§ Mr. Alisonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the forecast figures for estimated public expenditure for the years 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, and 1969–70 at 1965 survey prices made in Command Paper No. 2915 and other publications; what was the actual expenditure, in prices current in the year of fulfilment, for each of the years so far fulfilled; and by what percentage margin fulfilment prices varied from the relevant constant prices.
§ Mr. DiamondFor published forecasts of expenditure at 1965 Survey prices I would refer the hon. Member to Appendix II toPublic Expenditure: Planning and Control (Cmnd. 2915) and to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's reply to the hon. Member for Belfast, North (Mr. Stratton Mills) on 30th January, 1968.—[Vol. 757, c. 269.]
Figures of actual expenditure at current prices for each year from 1964–65 to 1966–67, with a provisional outturn for 1967–68, are published in the Treasury analysis of Public Expenditure in National Income and Expenditure 1968.
The conceptual difficulties of expressing statistics of public expenditure outturn (including transfer payments) for past years in terms of the prices of a particular Survey are such that I do not feel able to publish a factor for converting the figures at current prices to a 1965 Survey price basis, but as a broad guide the average annual percentage increase in the price level of successive Surveys up to 1968–69 has been about A½ per cent.