MNI: 5 Things We Learned From UK Public Sector Finances>

By Laurie Laird and Jamie Satchithanantham

     LONDON (MNI) - The following are the key points from the November 

print of the UK Public Sector Finances data published Thursday by the 

Office for National Statistics 

     - Year-to-date borrowing was down 6.1% to stg48.1bn in November, 

the lowest since 2007, but the fall in YTD borrowing was less shallow 

than the 9% decline in October.

     -A surge in tobacco taxes accounted for much of the improvement in 

November borrowing, rising by stg500 million to stg1.1bn -- a record 

high for November.  

     - Net debt as a percentage of GDP fell to 76.7%, the lowest since 

February of 2013, mostly due to the shift of English housing 

association debt from the public to private sector.   

     - Corporation tax fell by 0.5%, the fifth straight month of 

decline.  

     - Despite the higher threshold at which stamp duty kicks in for 

first time buyers, stamp duty rose by just under stg100 million to 

stg1.2 billion, a record for November. 

-London bureau: 44 (0) 203 865 3812; email: ukeditorial@marketnews.com 

[TOPICS: M$B$$$,MABDS$]