HC Deb 14 November 1933 vol 281 cc751-2W
Mr. A. BEVAN

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give an estimate of the amounts of British capital invested in Japan and China respectively, with separate figures for Government secured loans?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

The "Economic Journal" for June last contains an article by Sir Robert Kindersley in which he gives a geographical analysis of an amount of £3,186,000,000 British nominal capital invested overseas, representing about 85 per cent of the total British overseas investments at December, 1930. Of this amount, £63,000,000 was estimated to have been invested in Japan and £40,000,000 in China; and of the total estimate of £103,000,000 invested in these two countries, it was believed that £83,000,000 consisted of Government and municipal securities. The above figures exclude holdings by British nationals permanently resident abroad, this omission being very important in the case of China.