§ Mr. Richard Shepherdasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what amount the difference between the estimated tax revenue in 1979–80 and actual tax revenue in 1978–79 exceeds or is less than the total amount raised in domestic rates by local authorities in 1978–79.
§ Mr. Peter Rees,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16 July 1979; Vol. 970, c. 368], gave the following answer:
The increase in tax revenue of central Government between 1978–79 and 1979–80 is estimated at £8 billion—table 9 of the PSBR. It was estimated in the PSBR—table 6—that local rates in total in 1978–79 amounted to £6 billion. Of this, very approximately £2½ billion is estimated to have been domestic rates. Therefore the difference asked for is about £5½ billion.