Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Social Security Expenditure – 28 July 1988

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Social Security Expenditure on 28th July 1988.

Mr. Grocott To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of total expenditure social security, health and personal social services combined constituted in each year from 1979 to date.

Mr. Major The table shows, for the financial years 1979-80 to 1988-89, public expenditure (net of receipts) on social security, health and personal social services as a percentage of the public expenditure planning total, excluding privatisation proceeds, the adjustment made to bring the sum of individual estimated outturns in line with the Treasury’s view of the likely overall outturn (1987-88) only and the reserve (1988-89) only.

Year | Percentages
1979-80 | outturn 39.9
1980-81 | outturn 41.2
1981-82 | outturn 43.3
1982-83 | outturn 44.5
1983-84 | outturn 44.9
1984-85 | outturn 44.7
1985-86 | outturn 46.5
1986-87 | outturn 47.4
1987-88 | estimated outturn (1) 47.6
1988-89 | plans 47.8

Source: Table 5.11, The Government’s Expenditure Plans, 1988-89 to 1990-91, Cm. 288-I.
(1) The figure for 1987–88 does not include the additions to health authority cash limits provided for in Spring Supplementary Estimates.