§ 77. Mr. Ripponasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the estimated value of our invisible exports in 1956, in total and under the headings of interest or investments, tourist trade, shipping, and insurance; what were the comparable figures in 1938; and what proportion the 1956 total figure constitutes of our total exports, as compared with 1938.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI regret that figures are not available which would enable me to answer the hon. Member's Question in exactly the form asked. For the year ending 30th June, 1956, however, earnings from interest profits and dividends amounted to £348 million, from travel £115 million and from shipping £484 million. The comparable figures for 1938 were £205 million. £28 million and £100 million respectively. I regret separate figures for the earnings from insurance are not available, nor have we figures for total invisible exports, for our accounts contain a miscellaneous category of invisible receipts less payments (in which insurance is included) which amounted to £280 million in the year 1955–56 and £72 million in 1938. The total of all these items mentioned above comes to £1,227 million for 1955–56 or a little under 40 per cent. of exports in that year. For 1938 the total comes to £405 million, and the percentage to just over 75 per cent.