ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to present a survey of the main trends in the sources and uses of funds over most of the post-war years for industrial and commercial companies. The period covered by the tables 11.1 to 11.5 is 1952 to 1976; 1952 is taken as the starting point since estimates for several components in the tables are only available from that date onwards.1 An additional reason is that by then most of the major nationalization schemes had been implemented and the effects on the size of the company sector resolved. The figures used are derived from the National Income Blue Book series for industrial and commercial companies, although some items are only available for all companies. The sector consists broadly of all corporate bodies other than public corporations, banks and other leading financial institutions, and agricultural companies. That is, it covers bodies which have the features of corporate status, private control and a policy of making profits. However, some fringe activities are included in the sector figures, for example, trade associations, and certain central government, grant-aided bodies serving industry, such as the British National Export Council, British Travel Association, and industrial training boards.2 Coverage has changed over time due to nationalization, the reclassification of companies to the banking sector, and liquidations, etc. The most significant change was the enlargement of the sector in 1953 with the de-nationalization of steel, and later, its reduction by the re-nationalization of the industry in July 1967.
