HC Deb 19 February 1997 vol 290 c577W
Mr. Welsh

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the range of proportions of the UK GGBR that Scotland has accounted for on the basis of all studies published by Government Departments adopting methodology published in "Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 1994–95". [16116]

Mr. Waldegrave

[holding answer 17 February 1997]: Figures published in the 1996 edition of "Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland" show that, excluding North sea taxes and privatisation proceeds, the Scottish deficit was about 18 per cent. of the UK deficit in 1994–95. The 1995 edition of GERS gave the equivalent percentage for 1993–94 at 15 per cent., which the 1996 edition subsequently revised upwards to 16 per cent. The 1992 edition of GERS did not contain an estimate of the Scottish deficit but, had it done so, on the figures available at the time, the equivalent ratio for 1990–91 would have been 51 per cent. The latest available estimate of the ratio in 1990–91 is 54 per cent.