HC Deb 09 February 1984 vol 53 c725W
22. Mr. Sayeed

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the proportion of gross national product which will be taken up by taxation in 1986–87 and 1987–88.

Mr. Moore

I am unable to give estimates of the tax ratio in advance of the budget. The Government's commitment to reducing taxation within the framework of the MTFS over the lifetime of this Parliament remains as strong as ever.

32. Ms. Clare Short

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in income tax and national insurance contributions as a percentage of gross domestic product between 1978 and 1982; and what are the comparable figures for other major Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

Mr. Moore

The following figues are from revenue statistics of OECD member countries 1965–82. The changes are based on provisional figures for 1982 and where 1982 figures are not available, are given for 1978–81. Taxes on personal income includes capital gains tax as well as income tax.

Changes between 1978 and 1982
(Percentage points of GDP)
Taxes on personal income Social Security contributions
United Kingdom +0.2 +0.8
Canada +2.4 +0.7
France +0.5 +2.2
Germany -0.6 +0.5
Ireland +2.9 +1.5
Japan *+1.3 *+1.0
United States *+1.4 *+0.7
* To 1981.