§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much information is available to him on a regular basis showing the use of credit for various purposes; and if he is contemplating obtaining information in greater detail.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneTotal consumer credit, analysed by source of finance, is published inFinancial Statistics, table 10.3. The basis of the figures is described in an article "Consumer credit" in Economic Trends, September 1979.
Only the figures, on rather different bases, for credit advanced by finance houses and other consumer credit grantors and by retailers are analysed by use. The former are analysed monthly by broad purpose of loan in Business Monitor SDM6, "Credit business of finance houses and other specialist consumer credit grantors", table 4. The retailers' figures are analysed monthly (in index form) by broad kind of business in Business Monitor SDM8, "Consumer credit business of retailers", table 4. These two sets of figures relate to sales where there is an arrangement to pay by instalment; they exclude, for example, outstanding accounts and other forms of delayed payment.
I am not planning to obtain further statistics of the uses for which consumer credit is advanced.
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