BRITISH companies spent nearly £5 billion sterling less on taking each other over last year than they did in 1995, according to government figures released yesterday. In 1996, total expenditure on domestic acquisitions was £27.9 billion, as opposed to £32.6 billion the year before. Takeovers of UK companies by foreign bidders were also down - to £10.5 billion, £2.3 billion lower than in 1995.