§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many donations have been received by the Treasury to relieve the National Debt from members of the public in each year since 1945; and what was the total sum raised in each year.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettDetails in respect of the years 1945–48 are not readily available. The following shows the number of donations and sums raised in each of the years ending 31st March 1949 to 1977:
Year ending 31st March Number of Donations Sums raised £ 1949 … … … 41 595,310 1950 … … … 37 52,409 1951 … … … 37 41,012 1952 … … … 29 50,347 1953 … … … 41 137,883 1954 … … … 33 31,669 1955 … … … 54 100,886 1956 … … … 34 48,745 1957 … … … 18 31,239 1958 … … … 28 11,588 1959 … … … 36 52,186 1960 … … … 35 83,012 1961 … … … 30 41,381 1962 … … … 28 27,904 1963 … … … 26 29,155 1964 … … … 30 51,403 1965 … … … 26 45,611 1966 … … … 21 12,227 1967 … … … 42 32,894 1968 … … … 39 25,350 1969 … … … 22 41,680 1970 … … … 26 27,396 1971 … … … 35 501,796 1972 … … … 54 53,442 1973 … … … 32 197,037 1974 … … … 33 45,384 1975 … … … 37 110,744 1976 … … … 22 63,476 1977 … … … 48 117,912
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the size of the National Debt in (a) current prices, and 630W (b) in constant prices in each year since 1945.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettThe National Debt at current and constant prices since 1945 was as follows:
£million At current prices In constant prices (January 1974=100) 1945 … 21,366 —* 1946 … 23,636 80,395 1947 … 25,631 81,627 1948 … 25,621 75,802 1949 … 25,168 72,740 1950 … 25,802 72,478 1951 … 25,922 66,809 1952 … 25,891 62,842 1953 … 26,051 62,174 1954 … 26,583 62,401 1955 … 26,934 61,075 1956 … 27,039 58,780 1957 … 27,007 56,857 1958 … 27,232 55,803 1959 … 27,376 55,756 1960 … 27,733 55,917 1961 … 28,252 55,396 1962 … 28,674 54,102 1963 … 29,848 55,274 1964 … 30,226 54,168 1965 … 30,441 52,125 1966 … 31,341 51,633 1967 … 31,986 51,342 1968 … 34,194 52,445 1969 … 33,984 49,466 1970 … 33,079 45,252 1971 … 33,442 41,803 1972 … 35,840 41,820 1973 … 36,885 39,449 1974 … 40,125 36,982 1975 … 45,926 34,070 1976 … 56,582 36,017 * A 1945 figure at constant prices is not available.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the biggest single donation from members of the public that has been received to relieve the National Debt.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettThe largest single donation for the reduction of the National Debt was about £527,000, given in 1928 by Lord Inchcape in memory of his daughter, the Hon. Elsie Mackay. This sum was to be accumulated for not more than 50 years and then applied in reduction of the National Debt. By 31st March 1976 the original sum had accumulated to the value of £4,039,000.