HC Deb 07 December 1998 vol 322 cc29-30W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the costs of servicing the national debt in 1998–99. [61815]

Mr. Byers

Estimates for the cost of servicing the National Debt are not published, but Table B12 of the November 1998 Pre-Budget Report included an estimate of £29.5 billion for central government gross debt interest payments in 1998–99.

Mrs. Fyfe

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current amount of the national debt; and what the interest payments on this currently are. [60911]

Number of live births by birthweight and percentages of live births with a stated birthweight for Leeds, Livserpool, Manchester and Sheffield, 1993–95
Numbers
Area (Metropolitan disticts) Under 2,500g 2,500–2,999g 3,000–3,444g 3,500–3,999g 4,000g and over Not stated
Leeds
1993 662 1,569 3,326 2,506 888 285
1994 697 1,571 3,147 2,409 890 307
1995 758 1,636 3,192 2,470 835 39
Liverpool
1993 410 837 1,797 1,435 648 1,203
1994 417 839 1,839 1,534 639 793
1995 487 941 2,082 1,673 698 44
Manchester
1993 549 1,323 2,421 1,654 577 215
1994 506 1,228 2,232 1,579 563 318
1995 588 1,187 2,111 1,526 498 144
Sheffield
1993 499 1,129 2,267 2,001 747 48
1994 504 1,043 2,312 1,877 698 42
1995 492 1,110 2,242 1,695 667 46
Percentage of live births with a stated birthweight
Area Under 2,500g 2,500–2,999g 3,000–3,444g 3,500–3999g 4,000g and over
Leeds
1993 7.4 17.5 37.2 28.0 9.9
1994 8.0 18.0 36.1 27.6 10.2
1995 8.5 18.4 35.9 27.8 9.4
Liverpool
1993 8.0 16.3 35.0 28.0 12.6

Mr. Byers

[holding answer 27 November 1998]: Figures for net public sector debt are published in Table B4 of the November 1998 Pre-Budget Report. For 31 March 1998 the figure is £352 billion. Interest payments and interest and dividends receipts for 1997–98 have been published by the ONS in Table S13 of Financial Statistics, October 1998. These are £29.8 billion and £4.1 billion respectively.

Forward to