Wages and Salaries

HC Deb 27 October 1975 vol 898 cc349-50W

Mr. Hordern

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide figures to show the cost of wages and salaries as a component of total public expenditure during the last five years, and the estimate for the current year.

Mr. Joel Barnett

Figures showing current expenditure on wages and salaries—and national insurance and superannuation contributions, etc.—by public authorities in the last five years are published in the National Income and Expenditure 1964–1974 Blue Book table 53. Details of total public expenditure in the same period are given in table 58 of the same publication. It is not customary to give estimates of public expenditure or its components in the current year other than at Budget time and in the annual public expenditure White Paper.