§ 24. Colonel Crosthwaite-Eyreasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the annual long-term overseas investments made by the United Kingdom for each year since 1945.
§ Mr. MaudlingMost of this investment is private investment in the sterling area, and it is difficult to derive accurate figures from the available data. The table below gives the best estimates that I can in terms of yearly averages, but even in these the margin of error is considerable.
The average figures for U.K. long-term investment overseas (excluding inter-Government lending, but including U.K. Government loans for commercial projects and borrowing by overseas Governments in the London Market), are:
— Annual Averages in £ millions, rounded to 10 1946–53 1951–53 1. U.K. gross investment overseas 210 220 Less: 2. U.K. disinvestment overseas; and overseas net investment in the U.K. 90 40 3. U.K. net investment overseas 120 180