121 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for Finance the amount of the national debt of 1 January for each of the years 1993 to 1996. [19343/96]

Data on the national debt are traditionally published at end-year and represent the opening balance on 1 January of the following year. The opening balances on 1 January for each of the years requested by the Deputy are as follows: 1993, £26,344 million; 1994, £28,357 million; 1995, £29,227 million; 1996, £30,210 million.