Policy Debates Government Output and Expenditure in UK Regions and Sub‐regions: An Analysis of the New Experimental Accounts Data

Abstract

Gripaios P. and Bishop P. (2005) Government output and expenditure in UK regions and sub‐regions: an analysis of the new experimental accounts data, Regional Studies 39 , 805–813. This paper examines the regional and sub‐regional distribution of UK state spending by analysing new data available from recently published Regional Government Accounts. The data indicate wide variations in public spending per head across regions, with London being a particular beneficiary. The results do not indicate any relationship between Gross Domestic Product per head and public spending, and they suggest that, in total, government spending is doing little to ameliorate regional inequality. If the state wishes to pursue an active regional policy, it hence needs to consider the regional dimension of all state functions, not simply those associated with traditional regional policy.Public expenditure, Regional Accounts, Regional policy, Dépense publique, Comptes régionaux, Politique régionale, Öffentliche Ausgaben, regionale Durchführung, Regionalpolitik, Gastos públicos, Cuentas regionales, Política regional, JEL classifications: H50, R12, R50,

A lottery within a lottery? An examination of the distribution of lottery funds in England

“…This is surprising as there (2003) and Gripaios and Bishop (2005). These studies have revealed wide variations across regions both in terms of "identifiable" public expenditure, for the benefit of a particular population, and "non-identifiable" spending such as that on defence, which is seen, in principle, as benefiting citizens of the UK in total.…”

“…Moreover, spatial disparities in spending inevitably have important economic Gripaios and Bishop (2005)). Whether such a distribution is "fair" is an arguable proposition depending on the extent to which one believes that lottery funding should go on iconic projects, wherever they are most properly located, or, whether it should be skewed towards regions of greater need.…”