Public finance bulletin: September 2006

<p><h4>Headline comparisons</h4> </p><p><ul> </p><p><li><em class="bold">Central government current receipts</em> in August were 6.1% higher than in the same month last year. Receipts in the first five months of 2006-07 were 6.9% higher than in the same months of 2005-06. The 2006 Budget implied that central government current receipts for the whole of 2006-07 would be 6.4% above 2005-06 levels. </p><p><li><em class="bold">Central government current spending</em> in August was 6.7% higher than in the same month last year. Spending in the first five months of 2006-07 was 7.9% higher than in the same months of 2005-06. The 2006 Budget implied that central government current spending for the whole of 2006-07 would be 4.8% above 2005-06 levels. </p><p><li><em class="bold">Public sector net investment</em> in August was £2.0bn, or 8.7% higher, than in the same month last year. Together, public sector net investment during the first five months of 2006-07 has been £10.6bn, which is 62.7% higher than in the same months of 2005-06 The Budget predicted that net investment in 2006-07 would be £28.8bn, which is 15.5% above last year's level. </p><p></ul></p>