§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the average amount each taxpayer in the United Kingdom contributed through direct and indirect taxes to the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for each year since 1978–79; and what will be the contribution in 1987–88.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 19 February 1988]: The information is as follows:
Expenditure by Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food1 Number of taxpayers2 Contribution per taxpayer £ million million £ 1978–79 340.5 21.4 15.9 1979–80 469.8 21.6 21.8 1980–81 550.7 21.0 26.2 1981–82 537.6 20.8 25.8 1982–83 580.4 20.8 27.9 1983–84 535.3 20.5 26.1 1984–85 549.1 20.2 27.2 1985–86 531.7 20.4 26.1 1986–87 522.3 20.5 25.5 1987–88 3464.8 20.9 22.2 1 Source: Appropriation Accounts 2 Source: Inland Revenue Statistics, 1987. Married couples are counted as one unit. Figures for 1985–86 and subsequent years are provisional. 3 Forecast outturn—Expenditure in Northern Ireland excluded. The figures exclude expenditure by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce and other agriculture departments. They also exclude costs of agricultural support borne by consumers through higher prices.