{"id":6539,"date":"2024-12-11T07:19:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T07:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facts4eu.com\/?p=6539"},"modified":"2024-12-11T07:19:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T07:19:00","slug":"the-top-20-fastest-rising-areas-of-spending-by-the-public-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/facts4eu.com\/2024\/12\/11\/the-top-20-fastest-rising-areas-of-spending-by-the-public-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"The top 20 fastest-rising areas of spending by the public sector"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Were you told? And would you have approved if you had been asked?<\/h2>\n

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Montage \u00a9 Facts4EU.Org 2024<\/p>\n

Part II of Facts4EU.Org\u2019s definitive special series on how the public sector is spending our money<\/h3>\n

In Part I of this special Facts4EU.Org report<\/a> we looked at the extraordinary total of \u00a31.2 TRILLION pounds<\/b> being spent by the UK\u2019s public sector each year. Today we identify the Top 20 fastest-growing areas of public expenditure. No.1 on this chart in percentage terms is the policing of \u2018immigration and citizenship\u2019, which has exploded to more than nine times the figure seen only five years ago.<\/p>\n

The Top 20 fastest-rising areas of public spending might surprise some readers. In order to present a meaningful picture, we have excluded \u2018very small\u2019 (below \u00a31bn) areas of expenditure, because small transactions in these relatively insignificant areas can distort the figures. This leaves some extraordinary increases in more significant areas of public spending.<\/p>\n

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A Brexit Facts4EU.Org Series
\nThe UK’s public expenditure<\/span><\/p>\n

Part I :<\/b> The UK’s public sector spends more than \u00a31.2 trillion a year – and rising<\/a>
\nPart II (This report) :<\/b> The Top 20 fastest-growing areas of public spending
\nPart III :<\/b> For the first time ever, the National Audit Office won’t sign off the UK’s accounts
\nPart IV :<\/b> How much are we spending on migrants\/welfare\/unemployment\/policing?
\nPart V :<\/b> The public spending exclusively for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, plus overall summary<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Below we present the fastest-rising areas of public spend in percentage terms, followed by the fastest-growing in terms of actual cash.<\/b><\/p>\n

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Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary<\/h3>\n

The Top 20 fastest-growing areas of public spending in the financial year 2023\/4<\/p>\n

Comparing 2023\/4 to 5 years earlier \u2013 percentage increase<\/p>\n

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  1. Policing immigration and citizenship\t : \t832.9%\t<\/b><\/li>\n
  2. \nFuel and energy\t : \t455.5%\t<\/li>\n
  3. \nForeign military aid\t : \t429.8%\t<\/li>\n
  4. \nSocial protection – unidentified expenditure\t : \t193.5%\t<\/li>\n
  5. \nPublic debt transactions\t : \t120.8%\t<\/li>\n
  6. \nLocal public transport\t : \t104.0%\t<\/li>\n
  7. \nDefence R&D\t : \t97.8%\t<\/li>\n
  8. \nExecutive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs\t : \t88.0%\t<\/li>\n
  9. \nTertiary education\t : \t63.7%\t<\/li>\n
  10. \nFamily benefits, income support, Universal Credit and tax credits\t : \t61.3%\t<\/li>\n
  11. \nEconomic affairs R&D\t : \t61.2%\t<\/li>\n
  12. \nSocial exclusion – unidentified expenditure\t : \t60.7%\t<\/li>\n
  13. \nCentral and other health services\t : \t57.2%\t<\/li>\n
  14. \nPrisons\t : \t57.0%\t<\/li>\n
  15. \nWater supply\t : \t54.1%\t<\/li>\n
  16. \nLocal authority housing\t : \t51.2%\t<\/li>\n
  17. \nGeneral public services – unidentified expenditure\t : \t50.9%\t<\/li>\n
  18. \nRailways\t : \t47.2%\t<\/li>\n
  19. \nStreet lighting\t : \t42.3%\t<\/li>\n
  20. \nPersonal social services\t : \t39.2%\t<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    [Source: HM Treasury, data tables accessed 07 Dec 2024.]<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    \u00a9 Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2024 – click to enlarge<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    The 9-FOLD increase in spending on policing \u2018immigration and citizenship\u2019<\/h3>\n

    Across all areas of public sector spending, the overall percentage increase is 16% in real terms over the past five years.<\/p>\n

    The stand-out figure above is of course the 9-fold increase in public spending on policing \u2018immigration and citizenship\u2019. Whilst the amount involved is relatively small amongst overall public expenditure, this is one of the few areas where the costs of immigration are identified. In many other areas these costs seem to have been subsumed within other areas of expenditure. We will be looking at this in a subsequent report in this series of special reports.<\/p>\n

    \n

    We get the messages out there but if you want us to keep doing work like this,
    \nplease support us with a small (or large!) gesture, or we will have to cut back dramatically.<\/p>\n

    Every few pounds helps to keep us fighting for Brexit,
    \nand for independence, sovereignty, democracy and freedom.<\/p>\n

    Please help us today if you can<\/a> \u2013 it takes just two minutes and your details are kept confidential.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Increases in actual expenditure in \u00a3\u2019s bns by the public sector<\/h3>\n

    Next we looked at the largest increases in the amounts<\/b><\/i> being spent by the public sector. Unsurprisingly this produced some very different results.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary<\/h3>\n

    The Top 20 largest increases in \u00a3\u2019s bns in areas of public spending<\/p>\n

    Comparing the latest financial year 2023\/4 with 5 years earlier \u2013 increase in \u00a3\u2019s billions<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Medical services\t : \t\u00a354.8\t<\/li>\n
    2. \nBank of England debt transactions\t : \t\u00a334.9\t<\/li>\n
    3. \nCentral government debt interest \t : \t\u00a328.6\t<\/li>\n
    4. \nPensions\t : \t\u00a328.2\t<\/li>\n
    5. \nSocial exclusion’ – non-identified expenditure\t : \t\u00a324.8\t<\/li>\n
    6. \nSocial exclusion’ – Family benefits, income support, Universal Credit and tax credits\t : \t\u00a324.3\t<\/li>\n
    7. \nIncapacity, disability and injury benefits\t : \t\u00a313.5\t<\/li>\n
    8. \nMilitary defence\t : \t\u00a311.2\t<\/li>\n
    9. \nSocial protection’ – Personal social services\t : \t\u00a310.7\t<\/li>\n
    10. \nExecutive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs\t : \t\u00a310.5\t<\/li>\n
    11. \nSecondary education\t : \t\u00a310.4\t<\/li>\n
    12. \nSocial protection’ – non-identified expenditure\t : \t\u00a39.1\t<\/li>\n
    13. \nRailways\t : \t\u00a38.6\t<\/li>\n
    14. \nFuel and energy\t : \t\u00a35.8\t<\/li>\n
    15. \nPre-primary and primary education\t : \t\u00a35.4\t<\/li>\n
    16. \nFamily and children\t : \t\u00a35.0\t<\/li>\n
    17. \nOther police services’\t : \t\u00a34.4\t<\/li>\n
    18. \nPolicing immigration and citizenship\t : \t\u00a34.2\t<\/li>\n
    19. \nHousing development\t : \t\u00a33.8\t<\/li>\n
    20. \nGeneral economic, commercial and labour affairs\t : \t\u00a33.7\t<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      [Source: HM Treasury, data tables accessed 07 Dec 2024.]<\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

      \u00a9 Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2024 – click to enlarge<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      The NHS tops our chart, even if it is not mentioned by name<\/h3>\n

      It will come as little surprise to any reader that \u2018medical services\u2019 comes top of our chart for the highest amount of increase in any specific area of public spending. This refers to the NHS but HM Treasury do not refer to the NHS anywhere in their countless data tables. We must therefore assume that this is the major part of the total of \u00a3221bn which was spent on \u2018Health\u2019<\/b> in the financial year 2023\/4.<\/p>\n

      The \u00a354.8bn increase in this area of spend will of course be even higher next year, as a result of the Labour government\u2019s inflation-busting pay settlement with the doctors\u2019 unions.<\/p>\n

      \n

      The rising cost of debt<\/h3>\n

      Readers will also notice that two \u2018debt\u2019 items appear in our Top 20 chart, at positions two and three. The first represents the losses on financial transactions. As with immigration and the NHS, this is hard to identify in the official data we have accessed from HM Treasury, but we believe the No.2 item to be the result of the Bank of England\u2019s apparently deliberate policy of selling off its bonds at a loss.<\/p>\n

      \n

      The Rt Hon Sir John Redwood, former Secretary of State, commented on our report<\/p>\n

      \n
      \n
      \n

      \u201cFacts4EU reveal why we had a bad tax-raising budget. Too many public sector costs are out of control, from debt interest to the runaway nationalised railway.<\/p>\n

      “Their great list of the biggest rises point straight to the bad management of our debt and the big losses of the Bank of England.<\/p>\n

      Time to sort this out and spare the taxpayer.<\/b>\u201d\n\t\t<\/p>\n

      – The Rt Hon Sir John Redwood, 08 Nov 2024<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n

      \n

      \"\"<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      The No.3 item in our list of the Top 20 largest increases in areas of public spending is more transparent. This is the cost of the interest payments incurred on central government debt. Put simply, if we live beyond our means, there is a price for this. The position is even worse than we have portrayed above. Below is the full picture for what is known as \u2018Public debt transactions\u2019 and for the financial year 2023\/4 it comprised the following.<\/p>\n

      \n

      Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary<\/h3>\n

      The \u00a3121 BILLION spent on \u2018Public Debt\u2019 in the year ended March 2024<\/p>\n