Headline Comparisons

• Central government current receipts in February were 0.9% lower than in the same month last year. The Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) Economic and Fiscal Outlook forecast an increase in receipts relative to last year's levels of 8.9% for the year as a whole and of 8.9% for the period from November 2010 to March 2011. The latest figures show an increase relative to last year's level of 7.7% for the year to date, with a 5.7% increase between November 2010 and February 2011 compared to the same four months last year.

• Central government current spending in February was 4.6% higher than in the same month last year. The OBR's latest forecast implies an increase relative to last year's level of 5.4% for the year as a whole and of 4.2% for the period from November 2010 to March 2011. The latest figures show an increase relative to last year's level of 5.9% for the year to date, with an increase of 5.1% between November 2010 and February 2011 compared to the same four months last year.

• Public sector net investment in February was £5.2bn, compared to £5.8bn spent in February 2010. Together, public sector net investment over the first eleven months of this financial year has been £32.7bn, which is 20% lower than in the same months of 2009−10. The OBR's latest forecast was that net investment in 2010-11 would be £42.3bn, which is 7% below last year's level.

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