§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the changes in ECGD premium rates for political risks, by country, for 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 8 December 1994]: ECGD premium rates are reviewed annually. As political risk premiums are set individually for each country, the type of cover required and the terms of individual transactions, it would not be cost-effective to calculate and detail the changes in rates for each country over this period. However looking at all countries overall, ECGD's political risk premiums have fallen on average broadly as follows in the years in question:
- 1993 by around 20 per cent.
- 1994 by around 7.5 per cent.
- 1995 by around 10 per cent.
Any changes to rates for 1996 will depend on the outcome of future reviews.