§ 39. Mr. Roy Jenkinsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what causes he attributes the substantial and persistent rise since 1954 in United Kingdom dollar payments, on account with the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation countries but not settled through the European Payments Union, as given in table 6 of the Balance of Payments White Paper.
Mr. AmoryThe main cause of the increase has been the resale for sterling of goods purchased by the United Kingdom with dollars. By statistical convention these dollars are treated as though paid direct to the countries receiving the goods.
§ Mr. JenkinsIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that this growth is not represented in some part by the price we are paying for supporting the transferable sterling rate and thus allowing European countries to convert dollars at our expense?