§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has met its performance target of reducing the yield differential between(a) British and (b) German long-term Government debt; and if he will make a statement. [69089]
§ Mr. BoatengThe differential between yields on UK and German 10-year Government bonds at the start of May 1997 was 1.7 per cent. The Treasury Departmental Report 2002, published in June, reported that this differential had averaged 0.14 per cent. over the year to publication. The differential is currently 0.16 per cent. (8 July 2002).