asked the Minister for Finance (i) the estimated sums required to service existing Government borrowing for each year 1981 to 1984 inclusive, (ii) the estimated cost of maintaining the current level of expenditure, both current and capital, on Government services in 1981, (iii) the estimated cost to the Exchequer of the pay and non-pay commitments in the draft national understanding in 1981 and (iv) the estimated (a) tax and (b) non-tax revenue for 1981 based on the existing tax structure but allowing for the income tax and income changes contained in the draft national understanding.
Written Answers . - Government Finance .
350.
: The following is the information requested:
(i) The cost of servicing Government borrowing outstanding at 30 September 1980 is estimated on an annual basis at £835 million, of which £735 million represents interest.
(ii) 1980 budgetary provisions plus further supplementary estimates passed to date for Government services amount to £2,762 million (non-capital) and £1,154 million (capital), of which latter figure £447 million is expected to be found from non-Exchequer resources. What the corresponding figures for 1981 may be will depend in the main on the assumptions made about price movements between this year and next.
(iii) The cost to the Exchequer in 1981 of the pay commitments in clause 3.1 of the Agreement on Pay Policy in the draft national understanding is estimated at £194 million. It would be premature to provide an estimate of the cost of the non-pay commitments in the draft national understanding since not all of the details of the measures which the Government might take to meet these commitments are yet decided upon.
(iv) The estimate for 1981 of tax and non-tax revenue will be published in "Estimates of Receipts and Expenditure for the year ending December 31, 1981" which will be available in advance of the 1981 budget.