Rory O'Hanlon
Question:65 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Finance the total increase in public spending in 1995; and the total cost of these changes to the Exchequer in 1996. [3284/96]
Written Answers. - Public Spending.
The increase in 1995 in the main components of public spending is shown below.
|
1994 |
1995 Provisional Outturn |
% increase |
|
|
£m |
£m |
||
|
(a) Current Expenditure |
|||
|
Central Fund Services |
2,821 |
2,983 |
5.7 |
|
Gross Non-Capital Supply Services |
10,892 |
11,674 |
7.2* |
|
(b) Exchequer financed Capital Expenditure |
1,232 |
1,271 |
3.2 |
|
(c) Total Public Expenditure (a) & (b) |
14,945 |
15,928 |
6.6 |
* Increase after deducting £140 million. Equal Treatment payments from 1995 is 5.9%. The information requested by the Deputy, on the cost in 1996 of the total increases in public spending in 1995 is not readily available for the following reasons:
Central Fund Services— The main element of expenditure under this heading is the cost associated with servicing the national debt. There are many factors affecting debt service expenditure in a given year, the most important of which are fluctuations in interest and exchange rates. The overall increase in debt service expenditure in 1995 would have resulted from the combined effect of all these various factors and it would not be practicable to cost the effect on 1996 expenditure of these changes.
Non-Capital Supply Services and Exchequer financed Capital Expenditure— The change in total expenditure between 1995 and 1994 reflects the combined effect of both additions and reductions to spending across the full range of Government expenditure programmes. These additions and reductions to spending arise from numerous different factors, the variety and complexity of which hinder attempts to calculate the total cost in 1996 of the 1995 changes in total spending.
The following table shows the estimated 1996 post-budget expenditure under the main headings compared with 1995.
|
1995 Provisional Outturn |
1996 Budget |
% increase |
|
|
£m |
£m |
||
|
(a) Current Expenditure |
|||
|
Central Fund Services |
2,983 |
3,054 |
2.4 |
|
Gross Non-Capital Supply Services |
11,674 |
12,087 |
3.5* |
|
(b) Exchequer financed Capital Expenditure |
1,271 |
1,501 |
18.1 |
|
(c) Total Public Expenditure (a) & (b) |
15,928 |
16,642 |
4.5 |
*Increase after deducting £140 million. Equal Treatment payments from 1995 is 4.8%.