The charts show the percentage breakdown of government spending across nine categories in 2000 and 2010. Over the ten-year period, there were significant changes in expenditure. In both years, the four largest areas of government expenditure were: education, healthcare, pensions, and defence, with education taking the largest share (24% in 2000 and 21% in 2010). The smallest areas of expenditure were transport, culture and leisure and ‘other’. Interest on borrowing and spending on welfare lay in between. Interestingly, between 2000 and 2010, spending on all four of the largest areas had dropped, with the exception of pensions, which remained the same at 19%. Spending on transport and culture and leisure also fell significantly, with the transport budget declining by two thirds. On the other hand, spending on welfare and interest on government borrowing rose markedly, with the latter doubling over the ten-year period to 10%. Overall, the charts indicate that the government has had to...