Government Borrowing Down On Last Year

The Public Sector Finance statistics for March 2014 were published on 23 April 2014. In March 2014, public sector net borrowing was £6.7, £4.7bn lower compared to £11.4bn in March 2013. Over the financial year 2013-14 PSNB excluding the temporary effects of financial intervention and the impact of cash transfers from the asset purchasing facility and the Royal Mail Pension Plan transfer was £107.7bn.

Central government net cash requirement was £75.4bn, lower by £29.6bn than the £105bn in 2012-13. In March it was £22.2bn. The sale of the Lloyds Banking Group reduced the public sector net cash requirement by £4.2bn. Public sector net debt for March 2014 was £1268.7 equivalent to 75.8% GDP.

In the UK the PSNB Sectoral Breakdown consists of figures from the 4 main sub-sectors: central government, local government, non-financial public corporations and financial corporations ie public sector banking groups. The largest share of borrowing is accounted for by central government. In March 2014, the sectoral breakdown of general government borrowing of £7.1bn was as follows: central government £7.2bn, local government -£0.1bn, non-financial public corporations -£0.4bn (PSNB=£6.7bn) and public sector banking groups -£1.8bn (PSNB=£4.9).

Current budget equals current receipts minus current expenditure and in March 2014 it stood at -£79.6. Current receipts were £49.8bn 5.7% up on last March. The main increases were from VAT (£0.6bn or 5.8%) and income tax (7.8% or £1bn). PAYE varies little during the year. Other receipts were from stamp duties (£1.1bn in March and £12.6bn over financial year 2013-14).

Central government current expenditure accrued to £52.4bn, 1.3% lower than March 2013. Over the financial year accrued government expenditure was £640.2bn 1.4% up on the previous year. Net social benefit expenditure was £193.4bn and other current expenditure was £398.7bn or £6.7bn higher. In 2012-13 local authorities got almost all their funding from redistributed business rates from DCLG rather than the Revenue Support Grant. In 2013-14 local authorities retained half their business rates with the remainder redistributed through the Revenue Support Grant.

In 2012-13 central government accrued current expenditure was £631.1bn, £12bn up on 2011-12. The £12bn was composed of £10bn increase in net social benefits mostly pension benefits, £0.8bn decrease in interest payments and £23.8bn increase in other current expenditure. Net social benefits increases are largely due to the 5.2% uprating of benefits in line with the CPI.