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IFS Reports
February 2010 C112
Article
The IFS Green Budget: February 2010
Type: IFS Reports
Authors: Robert Chote, Carl Emmerson and Jonathan Shaw (eds)
ISBN: 978-1-903274-72-9
doi: 10.1920/co.ifs.2010.0112
IFS member price: £25
Non-member price: £50

Press release: More ambition needed to repair public finances, but don't squeeze too soon

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The Green Budget 2010 was edited by Robert Chote, Carl Emmerson and Jonathan Shaw, and copy-edited by Judith Payne.

It was produced in collaboration with Barclays Capital and Barclays Wealth and with additional funding from the ESRC-funded Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy at IFS.

in collaboration with
 

SUMMARY

Chapter 1: THE UK'S PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY: SURVEYING THE DAMAGE

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Financial crises and the level of potential GDP
1.3 How fast will potential GDP grow beyond the crisis?
1.4 Conclusion

Chapter 2: FISCAL TIGHTENING: WHY AND HOW?

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Effect of the financial crisis and recession on the public finances
2.3 The fiscal policy response
2.4 Alternative timescales for the fiscal tightening
2.5 Conclusion

Chapter 3: FISCAL STIMULUS AND THE CONSUMER

3.1 Introduction
3.2 VAT changes
3.3 Car scrappage
3.4 Conclusion

Chapter 4: THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Demand: why such a sharp contraction?
4.3 The growth-inflation trade-off: why so bad?
4.4 The outlook for demand
4.5 Forecast scenarios
4.6 Conclusion

Chapter 5: THE PUBLIC FINANCES AND STERLING

5.1 Introduction
5.2 The origins of currency crises
5.3 The risks of another sterling crisis
5.4 Conclusion

Chapter 6: GREEN BUDGET PUBLIC FINANCE FORECASTS

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Short-term projections
6.3 Medium-term prospects
6.4 Alternative macroeconomic assumptions
6.5 The Budget judgement

Chapter 7: OPTIONS FOR FISCAL TIGHTENING: TAX INCREASES AND BENEFIT CUTS

7.1 Introduction
7.2 Options for increasing tax revenue
7.3 Cuts to social security benefits and tax credits
7.4 Conclusion

Chapter 8: PUBLIC SERVICES: DEEP CUTS COMING

8.1 Introduction
8.2 Trends in UK public spending
8.3 Overall outlook for Spending Review 2010
8.4 Departmental spending in 2011-12 and 2012-13: sharing the pain?
8.5 Departmental spending after 2012-13
8.6 Conclusion

Chapter 9: PUBLIC SECTOR PAY AND PENSIONS

9.1 Introduction
9.2 The public sector pay bill
9.3 Cutting pay, shedding jobs or both?
9.4 Cutting pay?
9.5 Cutting pensions?
9.6 Conclusion

Chapter 10: SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

10.1 Introduction
10.2 The patent box
10.3 Direct spending on science and universities
10.4 R&D tax credits
10.5 Conclusion

Chapter 11: REFORMING UK FISCAL INSTITUTIONS

11.1 Introduction
11.2 The rationale for institutional reform
11.3 The Fiscal Responsibility Act
11.4 An enhanced role for the National Audit Office
11.5 An Office for Budget Responsibility
11.6 Conclusion

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Forecasting public finances
Appendix B: Headline tax and benefit rates and thresholds
Appendix C: Abbreviations

© The Institute for Fiscal Studies, January 2010

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Related research areas
Budget analysis
Public spending and finance
Tax and benefit system
Related Events
IFS Green Budget 2010

Presentations from the event:

Carl Emmerson
Fiscal tightening: why and how?
Michael Dicks
The effect of the financial crisis on the UK's productive capacity: surveying the damage
Gemma Tetlow
Green Budget public finance forecasts
Simon Hayes
The economic outlook and the risks of a sterling crisis
Rowena Crawford
Public services: deep cuts coming
Antoine Bozio
Public sector pay and pensions
Helen Miller
Support for research and innovation: the Patent Box
Mike Brewer
Options for fiscal tightening: tax increases and benefit cuts
Impact on Society
The temporary VAT cut
Government departments used IFS research to inform decision-marking about a temporary cut in VAT.
Reforming public service pensions
Past research into pension reform has contributed to evidence given to government on public service pensions.
Public spending analysis
Public spending analysis stokes public debate and prompts increased transparency over government’s plans for spending cuts.
Can tax cuts boost the economy?
IFS researchers have evaluated whether the temporary VAT cut was able to boost the economy effectively.
The 'patent box' proposal
IFS researchers used knowledge from past findings to analyse the potential impact of a proposed reduction in corporation tax to encourage innovation.
The Office for Budget Responsibility
IFS arguments for independent official fiscal forecasts contributed to the government’s decision to set up an Office for Budget Responsibility.