Headline Comparisons

• Central government current receipts in October were 5.9% higher than in the same month last year.

  Receipts in the first seven months of this financial year were 6.3% higher than in the same period of 2003- 04. The 2004 Budget implied that central government current receipts for the whole of 2004-05 would be 7.8% above 2003-04 levels.

• Central government current spending in October was 8.2% higher than in the same month last year.

  Spending in the first seven months of this financial year was 6.6% higher than in the period of 2003-04. The 2004 Budget implied that central government current spending for the whole of 2004-05 would be 5.2% above 2003-04 levels.

• Public sector net investment in October was £1.1bn, or 20.9% higher than in the same month last year. Together, public sector net investment during the first seven months of this financial year has been £6.9bn, which is 13.1% higher than in the same period of 2003-04. The Budget predicted that net investment in 2004-05 would be £22.4bn, which is 63.3% above last year's level.

Download full version (PDF 277 KB)