Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 14

Finance Accounts of the United Kingdom

page 72

Finance Accounts of the United Kingdom.

As usual the official compte rendu of Income and Expenditure for the past financial year is a mystification; and, also as usual, it was not presented until it could be of no use in regulating the expenditure of the current year, even if it were as clear and intelligible as it ought to be—i.e., until Parliament had voted the great bulk of the money demanded by the Government. In this and the succeeding pages an attempt is made to simplify the account somewhat, for the benefit of the taxpayer.

According to the Cash Account, pages 8 to 11, the total ordinary income for 1885-6 was £89,581,301 2s. 2d., making, with a balance of £4,993,206 14s. 8d., in the Exchequer on April 1, 1885, a total of £94,574,507 16s. 10d.—raised by "Other Exchequer Receipts" (which included £25,613,000 "raised by Creation of Debt ")to £133.931,806 19s. 3d. On the other hand the total Expenditure is stated, p. 9, as £92,223,843 14s. 10d.,—raised by "Other Exchequer Issues" to £128,305,863 1s. 3d., and leaving a balance of £5,625,943 18s. 0d. in the Exchequer on March 31, 1886.

In the following attempt to form a Balance Sheet the items of Receipt, &c., are taken as they stand at page 14 of the Accounts; those of Expenditure from the pages specified, which are scattered up and down in ways best calculated to puzzle the inquirer.

Receipts of Income,

Finance Accounts, page 14. Heads of Revenue. Advances repayable & Balances and Bills outstanding on 31st March, 1885. Gross Receipts. Repayments, Allowances, Discounts, Drawbacks, Bounties, &c. Net Receipts within the year. Totals of Net Receipts, Balances, &c.

Expenditure.

The National Debt, Charged on Consolidated Fund.—Finance Accounts, page 9.
£ s. d.
XII. Interest and Management 19,011,073 14 2
Terminable Annuities 3,502,133 14 3
Interest on Exchequer Bills, 178,478 12 9
New Sinking Fund (nil)
Interest on Lords for Local purposes 478,340 6 10
Interest and Principal of Exchequer Bonds (Suez) 199,979 0 0
Trustee Savings Banks Dcficicncy Annuity 83,672 12 0
£23,449,678 0 0
Supply Services (page 9).
XIII. Army, including Purchase Commission 17,027,084 10 5
Navy 12,660,508 16 8
Naval and Military Operations, Vote of Credit 9,451,000 0 0
Grant to India (Afghan War) 250,000 0 0
39,388,593 7 1
Collection and Management of Revenue Departments.
XIV. Customs (page 90) 955,452 3 8
Inland Revenue (page 90) 1,796,211 9 5
Post Office (page 90) 4,793,744 9 0
Post Office Telegraph Service (page 90) 1,745,000 0 0
Post Office Packet Service (page 90) 731,014 0 0
Crown Lands (paid out of Gross Revenue)—(page 20) 103,384 17 4
10,124,806 19 5
Civil Departments.
XV. Class 1. Public Works and Buildings (page 85) 1,766,717 3 5
XVI. Class 2. Salaries and Expenses of Departments (page 86) 2,442,861 17 1
XVII. Class 3. Law and Justice (page 87) 6,235,978 12 3
XVIII. Class 4. Education, Science, and Art (page 88) 6,268,451 11 7
XIX. Class 5. Colonial, Consular, &c. (page 89) 673,087 13 0
XX. Class 6. Superannuations, &c. (page 89) 1,212,361 14 10
XXI Class 7. Miscllaneous and Special (page 89) 96,305 3 4
Marriage Portion of Princess Beatrice (page 89) 30,000 0 0
17,725,763 15 6
Other Charges on Consolidated Fund (p. 9).
XXII. Civil List 410,020 2 4
XXIII. Annuities and Pension 334,100 14 9
Salaries and Allowances 89,789 1 8
Courts of Justice 503,058 11 7
Miscellaneous Services (ordinary) 151,417 19 10
Miscellaneous Services Annuity under Indian Army Pension Deficiency Act, 1885 150,000 0 0
1,638,386 10 2
Total Ordinary Expenditure £92,327,228 12 2

To the official total of £92,223,843 14s. 10d., as stated at page 9 of Finance Accounts, there should be added the sum paid from the gross revenue of Crown Lands, for salaries, &c., according to page 20, £103,384 17s. 4d.