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Public Expenditure

Volume 923: debated on Thursday 23 December 1976

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asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish tables in the Official Report showing (a) the changes in identifiable public expenditure per capita by sector in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively, during each of the next two years as a result of the measures announced on 15th December 1976, expressing the changes in £ sterling and as a percentage of the projected expenditure in each sector prior to the measures and (b) similar information to (a) but corresponding to all changes in public expenditure announced since the publication of Cmnd. Paper No. 6393.

The information requested is not available: apart from

£ million at 1976 Survey prices
1976–771977–781978–79
(1) Changes announced in Cmnd. 6393*+532-1,272-2,911
(2) 22nd July 1976 Statement:—
(a) changes before statement+282
(b) announced changes†-952
(3) Changes announced on 15th December 1976‡-1,016-1,513
Total+532-2,958-4,424
* Including changes in nationalised industries' capital expenditure and after taking account of reductions announced in the Budget Statement of 15th April 1975.
† Including changes in nationalised industries' capital expenditure.
‡ Including savings in requirements for Government finance.

the responsibilities of the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, public expenditure plans are not analysed by the country in which the expenditure is expected to take place.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the figures of public expenditure cuts announced in (a) July, (b) December and (c) other occasions since the publication of Cmnd. Paper No. 6393, all expressed in terms of 1975 survey prices.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20th December 1976; Vol. 923, c. 72], gave the following reply:I have made two statements announcing reductions to the public expenditure programmes published in the February White Paper—Cmnd. 6393. At 1975 Survey prices the amounts were:

£ million
1977–781978–79
(a) Statement on 22nd July 1976*.792
(b) Statement on 15th December 1976.†8461,258
*Including changes in nationalised industries capital expenditure.
†lncludng savings in requirements for Government finance.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is now the total amount of cuts he has made in the public expenditure programme for 1976–77, 1977–78 and 1978–79 compared with the figures given in Cmnd. Paper No. 5879, revalued to current prices.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20th December 1976; Vol. 923, c. 72], gave the following reply: