asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish statistics for the last five years for which figures are available, showing:

I regret that information relating to the balance between total Government expenditure and revenue it Scotland is not readily available. National expenditure policies are determined on the basis of needs, and national public expenditure allocations reflect the Government's commitment to certain economic and social priorities. Similarly, the level and incidence of taxation are determined by fiscal, not territorial, considerations. In view of this, the time and expense involved in preparing and publishing the revenue and expenditure estimates requested cannot be justified.House adjourned at three minutes before nine o'clock.