§ Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what information he has as to which countries in Western Europe have a balance of payments surplus, and which have a balance of payments deficit;
(2) if he will list those European countries, including EEC countries which, allowing for invisible exports and capital transfers, are in the current year's balance of payments (a) surplus and (b) deficit, in order of magnitude, giving his estimate of the amount involved in each case.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneInternational comparisons of the current balances of the member countries of the European Community, and of most other West European countries, are published by the Statistical Office of the European Community. Invisible exports and capital transfers are allowed for in striking the current balance.
No figures are yet available for the current year. The latest report available—Eurostat Balances of Payments, quarterly data, 1–82—gives figures for 1980 and for some countries for 1981; a copy is available in the House of Commons Library.