asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish estimates of the growth and use of resources at factor cost on the basis used formerly in public spending White Papers, at 1970 prices and 1975 prices if these are available, for each year in the period 1970 to 1977, and earlier years if these are available.

I regret that in the time available it has not been possible to provide the information requested. I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in matrix form indices on the basis 1970–71=100 of the outturn and provision for public spending in volume and cost terms made in each public expenditure White Paper since Cmnd. Paper No. 4234 (a) for total spending—programmes, debt interest and the contingency reserve—and (b) for spending on programmes alone.

No. If the indices were derived simply from the figures published in each White Paper—with an estimate for 1970–71 on a comparable basis in the case of the last two White Papers which start with 1971–72 and 1972–73 respectively—the matrix as a whole would be misleading, because figures for the same year derived from different White Papers would not be comparable, owing to changes in definition, coverage and price basis as well as revisions to the forecasts and estimates for 1970–71; while to render the figures comparable, by using the same estimate of the volume of expenditure in 1970–71 in all cases and adjusting the figures in all White Papers, would be a disproportionately expensive, if not impossible, task.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 19745 the proportion of the gross national product devoted to defence expenditure;(2) if he will publish in the

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 2nd August 1978], gave the following information:Figures for the years 1950 to 1977 inclusive are given in the table below. Figures for earlier years are not available.