asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total national debt for each of the member states of the EEC; the per capita national debt in each of these EEC States; and the total interest figures in each of the foregoing.
Written Answers. - National Debts of EEC Member States.
152.
In the limited time available it has not been possible to compile statistics which would enable a strict comparison to be made within the EEC of the national debt figures of the different member states. It is doubtful, however, given the differences in the methods of calculation, definition and content, of the national debt in the various member states, whether any true comparison can be made. A particular difficulty arises from the fact that central government borrowing in some member states (e.g. Ireland) includes all or most borrowing undertaken on behalf of local government, while in others (e.g. FRG) the local government authorities borrow independently. These considerations must therefore be kept to the fore in interpreting and comparing the figures below. Foreign currency figures have been converted to show the roughly approximate equivalent in Irish currency.
National Debt/Per Capita National Debt
The Irish National Debt at 31.12.1977 is provisionally estimated at £4,221 million which would give a per capita figure of £1,322. Interest on the debt (both central fund services and supply services) in 1977 is provisionally estimated at £339.3 million. The figures for the national debt in the other member states as at 31.12.1977 are not available. The following figures, taken from Eurostat 1—1978 (the monthly general statistics bulletin of the European Communities) show the Central Government Debt situation for six of the member states as at September 1977 as follows:
|
Central Government Debt |
Million European Units of Account EUA |
£ million (approx.) |
|
Germany |
88,369 |
57,705 |
|
France |
30,553 |
19,951 |
|
Italy |
60,377 |
39,426 |
|
Netherlands |
22,740 |
14,849 |
|
Belgium |
30,156 |
19,692 |
|
Luxembourg |
485 |
317 |
Figures are not provided in Eurostat for either the UK or Denmark. The British Treasury has indicated that the UK national debt stood at £63,794 million in May 1977 (the latest figure available) while the Danish Authorities have provided information to the effect that the Danish Central Government debt was D.KR 21,070 million (£2,094 million approx) on 1 April 1977.
Per Capita National Debt
The information below was given in an answer by the Commission to written question 1338/77 in the European Parliament recently on the national debt in the member states. In giving its answer the Commission stressed that "in the absence of adequate detailed information the figures now available should be interpreted and compared only with great prudence".
Per Capita National Debt/1st Quarter of 1977 (population, average 1976).
|
£(approx.) |
|||
|
Germany |
DM |
3,622 |
|
|
EUA |
1,351 |
881 |
|
|
France |
FF |
2,727 |
|
|
EUA |
489 |
319 |
|
|
Italy |
Lit |
983,300 |
|
|
EUA |
987 |
644 |
|
|
Netherlands |
FI |
4,203 |
|
|
EUA |
1,504 |
981 |
|
|
Belgium |
Bfrs |
118,730 |
|
|
EUA |
2,891 |
1,885 |
|
|
Luxembourg |
Flrs |
51,455 |
|
|
EUA |
1,253 |
817 |
|
|
United Kingdom |
£ |
1,194 |
|
|
EUA |
1,830 |
1,194 |
|
|
Ireland |
£ |
971 |
|
|
(incomplete data) |
EUA |
1,489 |
971 |
|
Denmark |
Dkr |
4,321 |
|
|
(estimate) |
EUA |
658 |
429 |
Year: 1975. Actual interest payments by general i.e. central and local government (figures extracted from National Accounts ESA 1976—a Eurostat publication)
|
£million |
|||
|
France |
FF |
18,796 Million |
1,975.6 |
|
Germany |
DM |
13,780 Million |
2,555.0 |
|
Italy |
Lit |
3,770 Milliard |
2,600.0 |
|
Belgium |
Bfrs |
82,377 Million |
1,010.7 |
|
Netherlands |
FI |
6,400 Million |
1,138.8 |
|
Luxembourg |
Flux |
797 Million |
9.8 |
|
Denmark |
Dkr |
2,110 Million |
166.2 |
|
UK |
£ |
4,231 Million |
4,231.0 |
|
Ireland |
£ |
164.2 Million |
164.2 |