ETCETERA / Index

Government earnings from whisky duty

per year: pounds 856,000,000

Government's annual grant for treatment of alcohol and drug abusers: pounds 2,100,000

Cattle on earth: 1,280,000,000

Average subsidy on one hectare of agricultural land in Holland (ECU): 1,306

In Britain: 129

Families who live in council houses

in England: 2,300,000

Empty private dwellings in England; 706,000

Estimated rent subsidies paid by the Government to private landlords each year: pounds 55,449,000

Supertankers of crude oil produced world-wide in 1991: 3,132

Hyde Park-sized areas of English suburban sprawl built in the 1980s: 79

Medical prescriptions for appetite suppressants per working day: 1,376

Jumbo jet-loads of people starving to death each day world-wide: 100

Percentage of internationally traded subsonic combat aircraft which were produced by UN Security Council member states: 99

Seats in the Venice-Simplon Orient Express cinema car: 40

Sources: HM Treasury (1991-2); Department of Health (1991-2); Jeremy Rifkin, 'Beyond Beef'; Ministry of Agriculture; ibid; Department of the Environment; ibid; RM/DSS; RM/BP Statistical Review; RM/Council for the Preservation of Rural England; RM/Department of Health; WHO; Bruce Grocott MP (latest year); Jane's Railways