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.

Central Government Borrowing Down In October

Provisional estimates for public sector net borrowing put the borrowing figure for October at £6.5bn. Borrowing in the same period last year was £7.7bn. The net debt stands at £966.6bn or 62.3% of GDP which is an increase on 2010 when net debt was £836.8bn, 56.5% of GDP. The current budget was £4.5bn in deficit, £0.2bn down on the previous quarter.

Borrowing by central government actually fell by £1.2bn from £7.2bn to £6bn whereas local government borrowing increased from £0.7bn to £1.3bn.

Government Borrowing Down £1.3bn

The current budget deficit for September 2011 was £11.9bn (excluding temporary effects of financial intervention), £0.9bn lower than 2010 according to the ONS. Net borrowing was £14.1bn also lower than in September 2010 when it was £15.4bn. Net debt £966.8bn or 62.6% of GDP compared with £833bn in September 2010. Central government net cash requirement in September 2011 was £2.1bn lower than last year at £23bn.

Current Budget Deficit Higher Than Last Year

The public sector finances fiscal indicators published by the Office for National Statistics and the Treasury tell us that the public sector current budget showed a deficit £7.0 bn, £6.3 bn higher than April 2008. Public sector net borrowing was £8.5 bn, £6.6 bn higher than last year and the public sector net cash requirement, the deficit plus the interest paid to those from whom the government borrows, was £5.2 bn, £8.0 bn higher than April 2008, when there was a repayment of £2.9 bn. The public sector net debt stood at £754bn or 53.2% of GDP compared to £618.7 bn or 42.9% of GDP last April. Public sector net debt, excluding financial sector interventions for Q1 2009 was £609 bn or 42.9% GDP.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies said that the Government borrowed about £3 billion less in 2008-9 than they thought in the Budget last month. This was due they said to current spending being lower and taxes higher than thought at the time of the Budget