PUBLIC EXPENDITURE OUTTURN: DEFENCE AND NHS

HL Deb 08 November 1983 vol 444 cc792-4WA

Lord Diamond

Asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the appropriate outturn of public expenditure for Great Britain for the current financial year for defence and for the National Health Service (a) as calculated immediately prior to 7th July 1983 and (b) as now calculated.

Lord Cockfield

The plans for the United Kingdom in 1983–84 as set out in the last Public Expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 8789) are £15,987 million for defence and £18,200 million for health and personal social services. Changes to cash limits announced on 7th July have been published (Official Report, 27/7/83; cols. 1569–1580). Revised public expenditure plans for 1983–84, incorporating the 7th July measures and other developments since the last White Paper, will be shown in the Autumn Statement. It is too early to publish an estimated outturn on these two programmes for the full year.