§ LORD ARCHIBALDasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any steps are now being taken to ascertain the total value of goods, particularly capital goods, exported from this country each year on credit terms, (1) with payment due up to six months, and (2) over six months, in view of the importance of this information in relation to the balance of trade and other considerations; further, whether Her Majesty's Government can give the annual value, over the last ten years, of goods exported from this country on terms of credit requiring clearance on Form C.D.3 and whether they can estimate what proportion of these were capital goods.
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORT FOLIO (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)The total value of goods exported on credit is not known and could not be ascertained without imposing additional formalities on exporters and a substantial additional burden on the Banks and Customs authorities. The information requested in the second part of the question is not recorded. It is relevant that the Form C.D.3 does not apply to the considerable part of our exports that goes to Sterling Area Countries.
House adjourned at two minutes past seven o'clock.