HC Deb 22 March 1976 vol 908 cc54-7W
Mr. Nott

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish indices on the basis 1970–71 = 100 of the provision for public spending on programmes—namely, excluding debt interest and the contingency reserve—in volume and, where possible, cost terms for each public expenditure White Paper since Command Paper No. 4234.

Mr. Joel Barnett

The figures are shown below. No account has been taken of changes in the estimates of the level of expenditure in 1970–71, the different price base of each White Paper or of any classification changes. Therefore small differences between successive White Paper estimates for any one year are not to be regarded as significant. The exclusion of the contingency reserve and provision for shortfall means that the indices for future years do not reflect the expected level of total expenditure on programmes.

TOTAL PROGRAMMES*, EXCLUDING DEBT INTEREST, CONTINGENCY RESERVE AND SHORTFALL
1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
Volume terms Survey prices of
Cmnd. 4234 … 1969 … … 100.0 101.9 104.3 106.9
Cmnd. 4578 … 1970 … … 100.0 101.8 104.0 106.0 108.2
Cmnd. 4829 … 1971 … … 100.0 104.8 108.9 110.7 111.8 113.4
Cmnd. 5178 … 1972 … … 100.0 103.4 111.7 116.6 117.9 119.6 120.8
Cmnd. 5519 … 1973 … … 100.0 102.6 107.4 115.4 117.7 119.0 120.4 122.9
Cmnd. 5879 … 1974 … … 100.0 102.8 107.5 113.0 123.4 125.2 127.4 129.1 131.5
Cmnd. 6393 … 1975 … … 100.0 102.9 107.4 113.4 123.5 129.2 128.3 125.5 123.9 124.7
Cost terms Estimated prices of
Cmnd. 4234 … 1969–70 … … 100.0 102.8 106.0 109.4
Cmnd. 4578 … 1970–71 … … 100.0 101.7 104.7 107.6 110.4
Cmnd. 4829 … 1971–72 … … 100.0 104.5 108.6 111.2 113.2 115.7
Cmnd. 5178 … 1972–73 … … 100.0 103.1 111.5 116.1 117.9 120.2 122.2
Cmnd. 5519 … 1973–74 … … 100.0 102.9 111.0 121.0 123.5 125.5 127.9 131.5
Cmnd. 5879 … 1974–75 … … 100.0 102.7 108.1 118.4 132.2 133.6 135.4 137.8 141.1
Cmnd. 6393 … 1975–76 … … 100.0 102.8 108.0 117.8 133.6 137.1 136.4 134.0 132.9 134.6
* Excluding investment grants, refinance of fixed rate export and shipbuilding credits.

Mr. Newton

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of those charges shown in section 5 of Table 4.6 of Command Paper No. 6393 arising other than as a result of the latest expenditure survey.

Mr. Joel Barnett,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 8th March 1976; Vol. 907, c. 86–7], gave the following information:

I regret that it is not practicable to provide a detailed breakdown of the kind requested. Cmnd. 6393 represented the outcome of a comprehensive review in which decisions were taken on all programmes in the light of the general strategy outlined in Part I of the White Paper, and of the particular circumstances affecting the estimates for individual programmes.

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