Headline Comparisons

  • Public sector surplus on current budget in 2004ְ5 is now estimated to have been minus ñ7.4bn (i.e. in deficit), compared to the March 2005 Budget estimate of minus ñ6.1bn.
  • Public sector net borrowing in 2004ְ5 is now estimated to have been ó5.4.bn, compared to the ó4.4bn estimate in the Budget.
  • Central government current receipts in April were 9.0% higher than in the same month last year. The 2005 Budget implied that central government current receipts for the whole of 2005ְ6 would be 8.4% above 2004ְ5 levels.
  • Central government current spending in April was 1.6% higher than in the same month last year. The 2005 Budget implied that central government current spending for the whole of 2005ְ6 would be 6.0% above 2004ְ5 levels.
  • Public sector net investment in April was ñ.1bn compared to just ð.4bn in the same month last year. The Budget predicted that net investment in 2005ְ6 would be ò6.2bn, which is 45.9% above last year's level.