§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average amount by which public expenditure has exceeded the amount spent in 1978–79, in each year from 1979–80, in actual and real terms and as a percentage of 1978–79 figures.
Mr. MacGreggor[pursuant to his reply, 15 May 1986, c. 564]: The outturn figure for the public expenditure planning total for 1978–79 given in the 1986 public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9702) was £65.7 billion. The latest estimated outturn for 1985–86 published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1986–87 was £133.9 billion. The average annual difference from the 1978–79 planning total over the period 1979–80 to 1985–86 was £44.5 billion, which is equivalent to 67.6 per cent. of the 1978–79 planning total. In real terms, the planning total has increased from £117.4 billion in 1978–79 to £126.3 billion in 1985–86 (base year 1984–85), with an average annual difference from 1978–79 of £6.1 billion, equivalent to 5.2 per cent. of the 1978–79 planning total in real terms.