§ Mr. Fosterasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost of interest charges in current local authority expenditure; and what is the cost as a proportion of expenditure.
§ Mr. Brittan[pursuant to his reply, 21 December 1981, c. 304]: In 1980–81, the latest year for which information is available, debt interest payments by local authorities are estimated to have been £4,363 million. This represents 16½ per cent. of local authority current expenditure.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost of interest charges in current central Government expenditure; and what proportion this is of expenditure.
§ Mr. Brittan[pursuant to his reply, 21 December 1981, c. 304]: As forecast in the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1981–82, HC 197, 10 March 1981, the cost of service of the National Debt in 1981–82 is £11,100 million which is 13.3 per cent. of the forecast figure of £83,697 million for Consolidated Fund expenditure.
The actual cost of these charges for the period 1 April–30 November 1981 is £7,256 million which is 13.7 per cent. of Consolidated Fund expenditure of £53,189 million for the same period.