Public finance bulletin: December 2010

<p><p><p><p><p><h4>Headline Comparisons</h4><ul><li><b>Central government current receipts</b> in November were 3.1% higher than in the same month last year. Receipts between April and November 2010 were 8.2% higher than in the same months of 2009. The Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) latest Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published last month, forecast an increase in receipts relative to last year's levels of 9.0% for the year as a whole and of 9.0% for the period from November 2010 to March 2011. <p> <li><b>Central government current spending</b> in November was 10.7% higher than in the same month last year. Spending between April and November 2010 was 6.8% higher than in the same months of 2009. 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 4.4% for the period from November 2010 to March 2011. <p><li><b> Public sector net investment</b> in November was £3.4bn, the same as was spent in November 2009. Public sector net investment between April and November 2010 has been £21.4bn, which is 1.3% lower than in the same eight months of 2009. The OBR's latest forecast was that net investment in 2010-11 would be £42.6bn, which is 5% below last year's level. </li></ul></p></p></p></p></p></p></p>