§ Mr. Hurdasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the main measures which have either increased or reduced public spending since 28th February 1974, showing in respect of each 69W the estimated cost or estimated saving during the current financial year and in a full financial year.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettThe list below is of measures worth more than £5 million in a full year, apart from those announced by my right hon. Friend this afternoon. For some of the measures listed expendi
£ million1 Measure Cost/Saving in 1974–75 Full year cost/saving where applicable Date of announcement Hansard Col. No. Rent freeze 70 70 12th March 1974 45 Deficit grant to National Coal Board in respect of 1973–74 128.2 —2 13th March 1974 340 Calf subsidy increase 21 38 25th March 1974 39 Pigmeat subsidy 5 15 25th March 1974 39 Social Security uprating 8603 1,2403 26th March 1974 296 Food subsidies 500 — 26th March 1974 297 Housing: acquisition, new building, municipalisation 200 200 26th March 1974 298–9 Defence savings -55 — 26th March 1974 302 Maplin project -174 — 26th March 1974 303 Option mortgages 5 5 26th March 1974 325 Fuel subsidy for horticultural purposes 6 7 11th April 1974 610 Revenue deficit grants to housing associations — 105 21st May 1974 Standing Committee B Additional pigmeat subsidy 15 15 19th June 1974 480 Coal investment 10 10 20th June 1974 n.a. Subsidy to electricity industry for reducing increase in off-peak tariffs 333 — 20th June 1974 784–785 Calf subsidy-Northern Ireland 2.6 5 26th June 1974 1587 Continuation of lime subsidy 2.8 5 26th June 1974 1593 Domestic coal-freight subsidy 3.8 5.9 27th June 1974 1–2 30th October 1974 Acquisition of Court Shipbuilders 163 — 1st July 1974 7.8 Post Office telecommunications investment 28 — 1st July 1974 18 Underfinancing of local and school health services 14.1 — 16th July 1974 234 Assistance to beef produce 40 40 17th July 1974 456 Local authority lending for first-time purchasers 35 — 18th July 1974 n.a. Doubling of REP 60 118 22nd July 1974 1052 Status of certain development areas 5 23 13th August 1974 n.a. Public sector construction orders — —6 11th September 1974 n.a. Mobility allowance for the disabled — 15 13th September 1974 n.a. RB211–524 —7 — 19th September 1974 n.a. Cost of advancing payments of hill subsidies and cow subsidies 25 35 3rd October 1974 n.a. Increase in hill sheep subsidy 7 9.2 3rd October 1974 n.a. Grant to Joseph Rowntree Trust 3 — 25th October 1974 n.a. Grant to Thalidomide Trust 5 — 25th October 1974 n.a. Christmas bonus for pensioners 92 — 29th October 1974 50 Compensation for pneumoconiosis —8 — 4th November 1974 42 Mineworkers' pensions —9 — 4th November 1974 42 Notes:
1 The price basis for these figures is that which will be used in the forthcoming White Paper on public expenditure, except where otherwise specified in the following notes.
2 A further £2.5 million was paid in 1973–74.
3 At outturn prices.
4 At 1973 prices. There is a further saving of £139 million over the three years 1975–76 to 1977–78.
5 Approximate annual cost from 1975–76.
6 Most of the 120 million additiona expenditure announced by the Government will fall in 1975–76.
7 The cost of supporting this version of the RB211 will be announced shortly.
8 Total grant will be £100 million. The precise phasing is uncertain.
9 No estimate available at present.
70Wture was confined to 1974–75; and in some other cases the profile of expenditure—or savings—beyond that year is not necessarily uniform and is in any case subject to the outcome of the Government's review of the whole field of public expenditure, the results of which will be embodied in the usual White Paper to be published in due course.