WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1979
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$12,454 MILLION EXPENDITURE PROPOSED FOR 1979-80
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THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR THE NEW FINANCIAL YEAR PROVIDE FOR TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF $12,454 MILLION, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF $1,292 MILLION, OR NEARLY 12 PER CENT OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR 1978-79, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID.
HE RECALLED THAT ACTUAL EXPENDITURE IN 1972-73 WAS ONLY $3,550 MILLION, AND IN THE FIRST POST-RECESSION YEAR, 1976–77, IT HAD RISEN TO $6,591 MILLION.
AT $11,162 MILLION THE REVISED ESTIMATE OF EXPENDITURE IN 1978-79 is 37 PER CENT UP ON ACTUAL EXPENDITURE OF $8,174 MILLION IN THE SECOND POST-RECESSION YEAR, 1977-78.
+SO, ALTHOUGH CANNOT DISGUISE MY GENERAL CONCERN WITH THE GROWTH RATE OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE IN RECENT YEARS, I AM SATISFIED WITH THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE GROWTH RATE HAS BEEN SLOWED DOWN IN THE YEAR AHEAD OF US, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID.
THE PATTERN OF EXPENDITURE FOR 1979-80 IS: SOCIAL SERVICES 42 PER CENT COMMUNITY SERVICES 22.5 PER CENT GENERAL SERVICES (INCLUDING LAW AND ORDER) 16.4 PER CENT ECONOMIC SERVICES 7.7 PER CENT, AND 11.4 PER CENT FOR ALL OTHER SERVICES.
+OVER THE FOUR YEARS 1975-76 TO 1978-79 THE PATTERN WAS RATHER DIFFERENT WITH GENERAL SERVICES ABSORBING AS MUCH AS 18.8 PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE AND SOCIAL SERVICES 41.6 PER CENT, BUT WITH ECONOMIC SERVICES AND COMMUNITY SERVICES ABSORBING ABOUT THE SAME. I EXPECT THE CURRENT EMPHASIS ON SOCIAL SERVICES TO REMAIN WITH US FOR SOME TIME, HE SAID.
THE PROVISION FOR EXPENDITURE ON RECURRENT SERVICES IS $8,360 MILLION, INCLUDING $200 MILLION FOR ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS OF AN UNAVOIDABLE NATURE ARISING DURING THE YEAR. THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF $916 MILLION, OR 12 PER CENT, OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR 1978-79 OF $7,444 MILLION.
MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID PERSONAL EMOLUMENTS AND ALLOWANCES (BUT NOT ON-COSTS) AT $3,151 MILLION ACCOUNT FOR 38 PER CENT OF RECURRENT EXPENDITURE, COMPARED WITH AN AVERAGE OF 40 PER CENT FOR THE FOUR YEARS 1975-76 TO 1978-79.
HE SAID THE CIVIL SERVICE HAS GROWN RAPIDLY OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, FROM AN APPROVED ESTABLISHMENT OF 114,692 IN APRIL 1976 TO A TOTAL ESTABLISHMENT OF 133,422 POSTS AT THE BEGINNING OF 1979-80.
PROVISION FOR ALL OTHER RECURRENT EXPENDITURE AMOUNTS TO $5.209 MILLION.
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