§ Mr. Knoxasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his estimate of the proportion of company shares owned by unit trusts, insurance companies, and pension funds, respectively;
(2) what is his estimate of the proportion of company shares owned by individuals in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. NottThere are at present no comprehensive official estimates of the proportions of company shares owned by the various sectors of the economy. The latest available estimates of the proportion of the total market value of quoted ordinary United Kingdom company shares beneficially owned by each of the groups asked for were given in "The Pattern of Ordinary Share Ownership 1957–1970", by John Moyle, Cambridge University Press. They are:
31st December 1969 Per cent. Individuals (persons, executors and trustees) in the United Kingdom 47.4 Unit trusts 2.9 Insurance companies 12.2 Pension funds 90