§ Mr. Atkinsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the most convenient table form total public expenditure as a percentage of GDP, showing in index form the wage and salary content relative to the numbers of people employed within such expenditure during each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettFor figures of total expenditure as a percentage of GDP, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Mr. Edge) on 28th July 1975.—[Vol. 896, c.344.] The wage and salary content of current expenditure on goods and services by public authorities, excluding trading services, is shown below. Fully comparable employment figures are not available.
Public authorities current expenditure on wages and salaries* £ million 1965 3,473 1966 3,778 1967 4,084 1968 4,382 1969 4,690 1970 5,391 1971 6,347 1972 7,387 1973 8,349 1974 10,559 * Including employers' contributions to national insurance, superannuation, etc.