The Office for National Statistics compiles data on the Public Sector Net Cash Requirement (PSNCR). Data are derived from HM Treasury, Department of the Environment, Department of National Savings, the Post Office, the Bank of England, and the Building Societies Commission.
The Public Sector Net Cash Requirement indicates the extent to which the public sector borrows from other sectors of the economy and overseas to finance the balance of expenditure and receipts arising from its various activities. The flows which count towards the PSNCR are measured on a cash basis (with a minor exception of interest on National Savings instruments).
The PSNCR can be expressed as the sum of three components: the Central Government Borrowing on its Own Account (CGBR(O)), the Public Corporation Borrowing Requirement (PCBR) and the Local Authority Borrowing Requirement (LABR). It can also be defined in terms of the receipts and expenditure of the consolidated public sector accounts.
Data cover the UK and are published each month.
Sponsor:
Office for National Statistics
Status:
Ongoing
Frequency of collection or compilation:
Monthly
Reference period:
months
Timeliness:
14 working days
Year data first available:
Monthly data are first available in April 1984 and quarterly data from 1963
Year of latest available data:
History of data collection / breaks and discontinuities:
Figures for the PSNCR (formerly the PSBR) have been compiled and published since the mid-1960's. Its origin can be traced to changes in the presentation of the Government accounts which took place during the 1960s in the Financial Statement accompanying the Budget. Further details can be found in Government Economic Service Working Paper No. 119 (Treasury Working Paper No. 61) 'The Public Sector Borrowing Requirement - Definition and Measurement' by Allen Ritchie and David Lawton, December 1993
Main areas for which data is collected:
Extent of geographical coverage:
Spatial units of data collection:
Smallest spatial unit for which data are made available:
Commonly available units for which aggregate data are made available:
Standard geographical classification or coding systems used:
Descriptive summary of geographical coverage and geographic referencing system:
Monthly Statistics on Public Sector Finances: A Methodological Guide by Jeff Golland, David Savage, Tim Pike and Stephen Knight. No 12 in the GSS Methodology Series and published by the ONS in 1999
Persons/entities covered:
Summary of coverage:
Summary details of public sector cash receipts and expenditure, the Public sector net cash requirement, and how it is financed.
