HC Deb 28 June 1965 vol 715 c19W
Mr. David Price

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of total United Kingdom overseas investments, both public and private, in the years 1914, 1939, 1945, 1951, and 1964, expressed in current monetary terms and at fixed values.

Mr. Callaghan

At the end of 1964, the value of private and official investments overseas amounted to around £11,000 million. The components are variously estimated at book, market and monetary values according to the information available.

RESERVES AND OUTSTANDING SHORT-AND MEDIUM-TERM ASSISTANCE
£ million (end of month)
1964 1965
Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
Short-term assistance 5 71 148 429 188 286 252 336 392
I.M.F.* 356 351 351 350 351 851
Swiss Credit† 28 28 28 28 28 43
Reserves (level) 923 907 876 837 827 821 844 832 840 1,021
* Represents drawings equivalent to £357 million in December, 1964 and £500 million in May, 1965, less other countries' drawings of sterling from the Fund and plus other countries' re-purchases in sterling which serve respectively to decrease or increase the United Kingdom's outstanding liability to the Fund.
† The amounts received under the bilateral credit arrangements with Switzerland, parallel with the arrangements for the drawings from the I.M.F., totalled £43 million. Because of rounding differences, the amount received in December was announced as £28 million and the amount in May, as £14 million.