HC Deb 17 January 1979 vol 960 cc781-95W
Mr. Ovenden

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish tables showing total identifiable public expenditure in the four countries of the United Kingdom, on each of the main functional programmes, in each year since 1973–74, in £ million, as a percentage of total United Kingdom identifiable public expenditure and in £ sterling per head.

Mr. Joel Barnett:

The tables below show figures of identifiable public expenditure on the main functional programmes in the four countries of the United Kingdom, over the past five years, in £ million, as percentages of total United Kingdom identifiable expenditure and in pounds per head.

The term "identifiable expenditure" refers to expenditure which can be identified from official records as having been incurred in a particular country. In the case of Scotland and Wales it has a wider coverage than expenditure within the responsibility of the Secretaries of State and than expenditure proposed for devolution, and in the case of Northern Ireland it has a slightly wider coverage than the Northern Ireland programme in the public expenditure survey. It excludes debt interest and expenditure on defence, overseas aid and other overseas services which is incurred on behalf of the United Kingdom as a whole. Total identifiable public expenditure represents about 75 per cent. of total public expenditure.

The extent to which expenditure can be identified may vary from year to year and between countries, particularly for services administered on an England and Wales basis. The figures in the tables also reflect other differences in administrative arrangements; for example, current expenditure on sewerage by regional water authorities is treated as a trading expense in England and Wales and excluded from public expenditure: but in Scotland it is local authority rate fund expenditure and so is included in other environmental services as public expenditure. Total Government net lending to nationalised industries is allocated to countries, industry by industry, pro rata to the industries' identifiable capital investment, and the amounts attributed to each country fluctuate from year to year because of the variability both of the aggregate lending figures and of the incidence of expenditure on large capital projects in particular countries.

The estimates below were compiled during the late summer of 1978. They use the terms and classifications of the public expenditure White Paper "The Government's Expenditure Plans, 1978–79 to 1981–82 ", Cmnd. 7049, published in January 1978 and, for earlier years, may therefore differ slightly from those given in Answers previously. The public expenditure totals on which the estimates are based correspond broadly to those of the Treasury Analysis of Public Expenditure, published as a Supplementary Table in the September issue of "Financial Statistics ", and they do not take account of the later information on expenditure, particularly for 1977–78, included in the White Paper" The Government's Expenditure Plans, 1979–80 to 1982–83 "—Cmnd. 7439.

IDENTIFIABLE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE 1973–74 TO 1977–78 (AT CURRENT PRICES)
£ and percentage of United kingdom identifiable public expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Irekad
£ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom United Kingdom
1973–74
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 300 66.7 98 21.9 34 7.5 17 3.8 449
Trade, industry, energy and employment 1,399 77.7 212 11.8 98 5.5 90 5.0 1,799
Government lending to nationalized industries* 72 37.1 63 32.6 13 6.6 46 23.7 194
Roads and transport 1,133 80.9 150 10.7 77 5.5 40 2.9 1,401
Housing 1,973 80.6 329 13.4 96 3.9 51 2.1 2,449
Other environmental services 1,284 81.1 166 10.5 95 6.0 39 2.4 1,584
Law, order and protective services 800 80.3 85 8.5 38 3.8 74 7.4 997
Education and libraries, science and arts 3,673 81.4 494 10.9 227 5.0 121 2.7 4,515
Health and personal social services 2,944 81.5 387 10.7 177 4.9 104 2.9 3,612
Social security 4,617 82.0 532 9.4 317 5.6 168 3.0 5,633
Other public services 356 80.9 38 8.6 25 5.7 21 4.8 440
Common services 261 86.2 20 6.6 13 4.4 9 2.8 303
Total 18,812 80.5 2,573 11.0 1,210 5.2 780 3.3 23,375

£ per headt†
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom
1974–74
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 6 19 12 11 8
Trade, industry, energy and employment 30 41 36 58 32
Government lending to nationalised industries* 2 12 5 30 3
Roads and transport 24 29 28 26 25
Housing 43 63 35 33 44
Other environmental services 28 32 35 25 28
Law, order and protective services 17 16 14 48 18
Education and libraries, science and arts 79 95 82 78 81
Health and personal social services 63 74 64 67 65
Social security 99 102 115 109 101
Other public services 8 7 9 14 8
Common services 6 4 5 5 5
Total 405 494 440 505 418

£ million and percentage of United Kingdom identifiable public expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
£ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom United Kingdom
1974–75
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 897 70.5 190 14.9 85 6.7 101 7.9 1,273
Trade, industry, energy and employment 902 64.3 249 17.7 106 7.5 146 10.4 1,403
Government lending to nationalized industries* 518 76.8 78 11.6 18 2.7 61 9.0 675
Roads and transport 1,536 81.2 211 11.2 95 5.0 50 2.6 1,892
Housing 3,612 83.0 480 11.0 173 4.0 86 2.0 4,351
Other environmental services 1,1519 80.1 224 11.8 103 5.5 49 2.6 1,896
Law, order and protective services 971 78.2 109 8.8 48 3.9 113 9.1 1,241
Education and libraries, science and arts 4,767 81.4 632 10.8 292 5.0 166 2.8 5,857
Health and personal social services 3,937 81.3 522 10.8 237 4.9 147 3.0 4,843
Social security 5,820 82.1 660 9.3 389 5.5 219 3.1 7,087
Other public services 399 80.7 49 10.0 32 6.5 14 28 494
Common services 288 85.1 24 7.1 11 3.2 16 4.6 338
Total 25,166 80.3 3,428 10.9 1,589 5.1 1,168 3.7 31,351

£per head
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom
1974–75
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 19 36 31 65 23
Trade, industry, energy and employment 19 48 38 94 25
Government lending to nationalised industries* 11 15 7 39 12
Roads and transport 33 41 34 32 34
Housing 78 92 63 56 78
Other environmental services 33 43 37 32 34
Law, order and protective services 21 21 17 73 22
Education and libraries, science and arts 103 121 106 108 105
Health and personal social services 85 100 86 95 87
Social security 125 126 141 141 127
Other public services 9 9 12 9 9
Common services 6 5 4 10 6
Total 542 657 576 755 561

£ million and percentage of United Kingdom identifiable public expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
£ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom £million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom United Kingdom
1975–76
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 1,099 73.6 202 13.5 90 6.0 103 6.9 1,494
Trade, industry, energy and employment 1,233 63.0 385 19.7 143 7.3 198 10.1 1,958
Government lending to nationalised industries* 553 73.4 63 8.3 99 13.2 38 5.1 754
Roads and transport 1,809 80.1 262 11.6 124 5.5 66 2.9 2,260
Housing 3,640 81.0 545 12.1 193 4.3 115 2.6 4,494
Other environmental services 2,073 79.6 327 12.6 128 4.9 76 2.9 2,604
Law, order and protective services 1,290 77.9 149 9.0 66 4.0 151 9.1 1,656
Education and libraries, science and arts 6,035 81.0 816 10.9 372 5.0 228 3.1 7,451
Health and personal social services 5,224 80.9 707 11.0 320 5.0 206 3.2 6,458
Social security 7,951 82.4 892 9.2 522 5.4 289 3.0 9,655
Other public services 571 76.7 66 8.8 89 11.9 19 2.5 744
Common services 409 86.1 35 7.3 16 3.3 15 3.2 475
Total 31,887 79.7 4,449 11.1 2,162 5.4 1,505 3.8 40,003

£ per head†
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom
1975–76
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 24 39 32 67 27
Trade, industry, energy and employment 27 74 52 129 35
Government lending to nationalised industries* 12 12 36 25 13
Roads and transport 39 50 45 43 40
Housing 78 105 70 75 80
Other environmental services 45 63 46 50 47
Law, order and protective services 28 29 24 98 30
Education and libraries, science and arts 130 157 135 148 133
Health and personal social services 113 136 116 134 116
Social security 171 171 189 188 173
Other public services 12 13 32 12 13
Common services 9 7 6 10 8
Total 687 855 782 979 716

£ million and percentage of United Kingdom identifiable public expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
£ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom United Kingdom
1976–77
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 683 63.5 196 18.2 80 7.4 118 10.9 1,076
Trade, industry, energy and employment 1,487 65.2 441 19.3 179 7.8 175 7.7 2,282
Government lending to nationalised industries* —141 1 85 52 —3
Roads and transport 1,833 78.3 287 12.3 147 6.3 74 3.1 2,341
Housing 4,064 81.1 561 11.2 211 4.2 176 3.5 5,011
Other environmental services 2,114 79.5 340 12.8 127 4.8 79 3.0 2,660
Law, order and protective services 1,487 78.2 169 8.9 74 3.9 171 9.0 1,902
Education and libraries, science and arts 6,816 81.0 914 10.9 422 5.0 262 3.1 8,414
Health and personal social services 5,954 81.0 796 10.8 361 4.9 240 3.3 7,351
Social security 9,389 81.9 1,087 9.5 638 5.6 347 3.0 11,460
Other public services 652 79.0 73 8.9 78 9.4 22 2.7 826
Common services 455 86.9 37 7.2 20 3.8 11 2.2 524
Total 34,793 79.4 4,902 11.2 2,422 5.5 1,727 3.9 43,844

£ per head†
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom
1976–77
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 15 38 29 76 19
Trade, industry, energy and employment 32 85 65 114 41
Government lending to nationalised industries* —3 0 31 34 0
Roads and transport 40 55 53 48 42
Housing 88 108 76 114 90
Other environmental services 46 65 46 51 48
Law, order and protective services 32 32 27 111 34
Education and libraries, science and arts 147 176 153 170 151
Health and personal social services 128 153 130 156 132
Social security 202 209 230 226 205
Other public services 14 14 28 14 15
Common services 10 7 7 7 9
Total 750 942 875 1,123 785

£ million and percentage of United Kingdom identifiable public expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
£ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom £ million Percentage of United Kingdom United Kingdom
1977–78(provisional)
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 577 60.174 174 18.2 67 7.0 137 14.3 954
Trade, industry, energy and employment 1,384 64.6 383 17.9 201 9.4 174 8.1 2,141
Government lending to nationalised industries* 164 37.2 54 12.3 200 45.3 23 5.2 442
Roads and transport 1,792 77.1 313 13.5 132 5.7 89 3.8 2,326
Housing 3,947 80.8 575 11.8 190 3.9 170 3.5 4,882
Other environmental services 2,196 78.3 390 13.9 130 4.6 90 3.2 2,806
Law, order and protective services 1,657 78.7 186 8.8 84 4.0 179 8.5 2,106
Education and libraries, science and arts 7,255 80.7 984 10.9 449 5.0 298 3.3 8,986
Health and personal social services 6,624 80.7 908 11.1 409 5.0 272 3.3 8,213
Social security 11,102 81.8 1,301 9.6 763 5.6 410 3.0 13,576
Other public services 688 79.9 80 9.2 71 8.3 22 2.6 861
Common services 496 86.0 40 6.9 27 4.8 13 2.3 577
Total 37,882 79.1 5,388 11.3 2,723 5.7 1,877 3.9 47,870

£ per head†
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom
1977–78(provisional)
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 12 34 24 89 17
Trade, industry, energy and employment 30 74 73 113 38
Government lending to nationalised industries* 4 10 72 15 8
Roads and transport 39 60 48 58 42
Housing 85 111 69 111 87
Other environmental services 47 75 47 59 50
Law, order and protective services 36 36 30 117 38
Education and libraries, science and arts 157 189 162 194 161
Health and personal social services 143 175 148 177 147
Social security 240 250 276 267 243
Other public services 15 15 26 15 15
Common services 11 8 10 9 10
Total 817 1,037 984 1,221 857

*See text. The figures for 1973–74 exclude finance to the British Steel Corporation. The figures for Northern Ireland include all finance to the Northern Ireland Electricity Service. It is not meaningful to express the individual countries' figures for 1976–77 as percentages of the very small, negative figure for the United Kingdom.
† Population estimates used in calculating the figures of identifiable public expenditure per head (thousands)
1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–48
England 46,405 46,400 46,391 46,374 46,351
Scotland 5,212 5,217 5,206 5,205 5,196
Wales 2,749 2,759 2,766 2,769 2,768
Northern Ireland 1,547 1,547 1,537 1,538 1,537
United Kingdom 55,913 55,922 55,900 55,886 55,852

Source: Monthly Digest, September 1978.

The figures are independently rounded and may not therefore necessarily sum to the totals.

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