§ Mr. Churchillasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was Great Britain's total national debt in the month of February in each of the years 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977, respectively, and in the latest month for which figures are available; and what percentage of increase or decrease this represents compared with February 1974.
§ Mr. Denzil DaviesStatistics of the total national debt are only calculated as at 31st March each year. Figures for the total debt—including foreign currency debt—in the years requested are given below; these will be published in the July issue of Financial Statistics. The percentage increase between 31st March 1974 and 31st March 1977, the latest date for which figures are available, is estimated to have been 65 per cent.
NATIONAL DEBT AT 31ST MARCH £ 1974 … 40,458 1975 … 46,405 1976 … 56,584 1977 (provisional) … 66,854