HC Deb 16 December 1974 vol 883 cc336-7W
Mr. Trotter

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage of the gross national product spent on (a) education and (b) social services in each of the last 20 years.

Mr. Joel Barnett

The information requested is given in the following table:

PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL SERVICES
Education* per cent. of GNP Other Social Services† at factor cost
1954 3.2 9.7
1955 3.2 9.9
1956 3.4 9.9
1957 3.7 9.8
1958 3.8 10.7
1959 3.9 11.0
1960 4.0 10.9
1961 4.1 11.1
1962 4.6 11.3
1963 4.7 11.8
1964 4.8 11.6
1965 5.0 12.4
1966 5.3 12.7
1967 5.6 13.5
1968 5.8 14.2
1969 5.9 14.4
1970 6.1 14.7
1971 6.2 14.5
1972 6.5 15.2
1973 6.5 14.6
* Excludes school meals and milk.
† Comprising the National Health Service, personal social services, school meals, milk and welfare foods and social security benefits.