§ 26. Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the level of British investment overseas and investment by overseas companies and investors in Great Britain, respectively, in 1969.
§ Mr. DiamondEstimates for 1969 of British investment overseas and investment in the United Kingdom from overseas are not yet available. Provisional estimates for the first three quarters of the year were published in Economic Trends for December, 1969.
§ Mr. OsbornWhat steps will the Chancellor take to reverse the trend of overseas liabilities, particularly of the private sector, which are increasing faster than overseas assets, as revealed in the quarterly bulletin of the Bank of England?
§ Mr. DiamondI do not know whether the hon. Gentleman is fully aware of what has been happening with overseas investment. It has been considerably higher not only in money terms but in real terms over the past four years than over the preceding four years.