HC Deb 13 November 1980 vol 992 c441W
Mr. Marlow

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why his Department uses the American rather than the British form of billion in its answers.

Mr. Biffen

The Treasury uses the American billion, that is one thousand million, because this has become the accepted international practice.

1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84
Housing … … … … … -12.5 -18.3 -15.4 -14.2
Education … … … … -4.4 -2.3 -1.8 -2.0
Health and personal social services … +1.3 +0.5 +2.0 +1.0