§ Mr. HuttonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing(a) the percentage of gross national product accounted for by taxation and social security spending and (b) unemployment rates in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Portillo[holding answer 20 April 1994]: The information requested is shown in the table. The figures given are presented in financial year terms and as a percentage of gross domestic product, following conventions used in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report".
Per cent./year (a) Non-North Sea tax burden2 3 4 Social security expenditure3 5 (b)Unemployment6 1979–80 35½ 9.0 4.0 1980–81 36½ 9.5 5.1 1981–82 39¼ 10.6 8.1 1982–83 38½ 11.1 9.5 1983–84 38¼ 11.4 10.5 1984–85 38¼ 11.5 10.7 1985–86 37¼ 11.5 10.9 1986–87 37¾ 11.4 11.1 1987–88 38 10.7 10.0 1988–89 37¼ 9.8 8.0 1989–90 37 9.5 6.3 1990–91 37 10.1 5.8 1991–92 36¾ 11.2 8.1 1992–93 35 12.3 9.8 1993–941 34¼ 12.9 10.3 1 For (a) these are forecasts. 2 Non-North Sea taxes, social security contributions and the community charge as a percentage of non-North Sea GDP. Figures are on an accruals basis. 3 Based on money GDP figures adjusted for the years before 1990–91 to remove the distortion caused by the abolition of domestic rates. 4 Including the council tax from 1993–94, when it replaced the community charge. 5 Grand total benefit expenditure as a percentage of nominal GDP. Underlying expenditure figures are in cash terms. The figure for 1993–94 includes an amount for the spring supplementary estimate. 6 United Kingdom seasonally adjusted unemployment. Rates are annual averages of the total unemployed workforce, of the first year quoted.