HC Deb 14 November 1988 vol 140 cc518-9W
Mr. Ralph Howell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the total public expenditure of(a) the EC and (b) the United Kingdom in actual amounts and at 1988 prices in 1973 and each subsequent year.

Mr. Major

The sum of capital and current expenditure of general Government on EC definitions and at current prices is given in the table below. EC definitions and calendar years have been used in order to provide figures on a consistent basis. It has not been possible to convert to 1988 prices.

billion ECU
United Kingdom EC91
1973 54 327
1974 66 393
1975 79 481
1976 82 545
1977 85 612
1978 96 688
1979 113 771
1980 152 885
1981 193 1,023
1982 206 1,137
1983 216 1,176
1984 233 1,327
1985 248 21,410
1 EC9 excludes Greece, Spain and Portugal.
1 A figure for Ireland has been imputed by assuming a similar growth as the rest of EC9.

Source: Eurostat Review, 1988 and earlier years.