HC Deb 12 May 1980 vol 984 cc378-80W
Mr. John H. Osborn

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the current balance of payments position affecting the United Kingdom in the financial year 1979; what was the outward flow of capital, the inward flow of capital, and the impact on the net balance of payments position; and how it compares with each of the previous five years, 1970, 1965 and 1960;

(2) what was the total value of exports, broken up into visible, invisible and service to all countries; how this compares with total imports to and from the United Kingdom and all countries; what was the current balance of payments outturn for the financial year 1979; and how this compares with each of the previous five years, 1970, 1965 and 1960.

Mr. Lawson

The latest available figures for the whole balance of payments account are given from 1968 to end–1979 in the quarterly article in the March 1980 edition of " Economic Trends ". Figures for earlier calendar years are given in " United Kingdom Balance of Payments, 1979 Edition "—the Pink Book. Figures of visible trade on a seasonally adjusted basis for the first three months of 1980, together with a projection of the balance of invisibles transactions, are given in the monthly balance of payments press notice of 17 April.

Mr. John H. Osborn

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the current balance of payments position affecting the United Kingdom in the financial year 1979, with each EEC country, respectively, and in total; what was the outward flow of capital, the inward flow of capital and the impact on the net balance of payments position; and how this compares with each of the previous five years, 1970, 1965 and 1960;

(2) what was the value of exports, broken up into invisibles and services and visible trade, to each member of the EEC, respectively, and in total; how this compares with imports in each case to and from the United Kingdom; what was the current balance of payments outturn for the financial year 1979; and how this compares with each of the previous five years, 1970, 1965 and 1960;

(3) what was the current balance of payments position affecting the United Kingdom in the financial year 1979 with each main non-EEC trading area, respectively, and in total; what was the outward and inward flow of capital and the impact on the net balance of payments position; and how this compares with each of the previous five years, 1970, 1965 and 1960;

(4) What was the value of exports, broken up into visibles, invisibles and services, to the main non-EEC trading areas, respectively, and in total; how this compares with imports in each case to and from the United Kingdom; what was the current balance of payments outturn for the financial year 1979; and how this compares with each of the previous five years, 1970, 1965 and 1960.

Mr. Lawson

The available regional analyses of invisibles transactions, capital transactions and of visible trade on a balance of payments basis are given in " United Kingdom Balance of Payments, 1979 Edition "—the Pink Book. For the balance of payments accounts as a whole, these analyses cover the European Communities in total for calendar years 1973 to 1978. Figures for other main trading areas are given only for visible trade, travel earnings and direct investment and associated earnings. Additional country detail of travel earnings is published in " Business Monitor MA 6 " and country details from the Department of Trade inquiries into overseas direct investment are published in " Business Monitor MA 4 ".

The available area/country information on exports and imports in the years 1970–1979 is published in the " Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" (on a balance of payments basis in table A9, and on an overseas trade statistics (OTS) basis in tables B16, B17, C22, C23). Information on an OTS basis in respect of 1960 and 1965 is published in the " Annual Statement of Trade " for those years, although the coverage of the statistics is marginally different from that of later years.