HC Deb 25 July 1957 vol 574 c582
34. Mr. Shepherd

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of money, in dollars, paid by the United Kingdom to overseas countries between the years 1945 to 1955 in respect of grants of assistance, loans, and reductions of principal and interest on loans, respectively, and also in dollars, the amount of private investment by United Kingdom nationals in overseas territories during this period.

Mr. Birch

As the Answer contains a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the information:

During the ten years 1946–55. Government grants of assistance and loans—including pre-1946 debts written off—to overseas countries totalled £1,300 million. Payments by the United Kingdom to overseas countries of interest on and repayments of principal of inter-Government loans to the United Kingdom amounted to nearly £900 million. The amount of gross private investment by the United Kingdom is very uncertain but it probably totalled about £2,000 million.

These figures cover payments in many currencies, including dollars, and I have therefore given the totals in sterling.