§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing (a) the annual capital expenditure by local authorities in England and Wales and (b) the total annual debt charges to local authorities in England and Wales for each year since 1972–73, in actual money terms and with each column followed by an index using 1953–54 as the base year, plus an index for inflation over the same period.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe information is as follows:
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Local authority capital expenditure and debt charges:* England and Wales Capital expenditure† Debt charges‡ GDP £ million Index║ £ million Index║ Deflator║ 1972–73 2,573 484 1,401 814 226 1973–74 3,499 658 1,843 1,072 242
Capital expenditure† Debt charges‡ GDP £ million Index║ £ million Index║ Deflator║ 1974–75 3,941 741 2,155 1,253 289 1975–76 4,144 779 2,617 1,522 363 1976–77 4,011 754 3,116 1,812 411 1977–78 3,672 690 3,209 1,866 468 1978–79 3,816 111 3,647 2,120 516 1979–80 4,491 844 4,433 2,577 603 1980–81 4,750 893 5,123 2,978 716 1981–82 4,315 811 5,354 3,113 787 1982–83 5,443 1,023 4,978 2,894 839 Source: Local Government Financial Statistics
* There have been a number of changes over the years which affect the comparability of the figures. In 1969–70 a revised system of financial returns was introduced and in April 1974 local government reorganisation transferred responsibility for various services to regional health and regional water authorities.
† All expenditure charged to capital accounts excluding capital assigned to the repayment of debt.
‡Includes repayment of principal, interest payments and, since 1981–82, certain leasing charges.
║ 1953–54 = 100.