HC Deb 24 November 1955 vol 546 cc142-3W
91. Mr. Bottomley

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a further statement in order to compare figures of recent United Kingdom export performance with earlier figures, both in respect of volume and value.

Mr. Burden

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a further statement regarding the increase in United Kingdom exports so far in 1955, in volume and in value, compared with the same period in 1954; and whether he will include such details as are available for this period of the increase in exports to the sterling and dollar areas.

Mr. Low

Since 1953 United Kingdom exports have been increasing at an annual rate of about 7 per cent. in volume and 6 per cent. in value. The following is a table comparing United Kingdom export performance in stated periods, 1955, with corresponding periods, 1954:

* Volume Value
Total United Kingdom exports 1st 9 months 1955 + 6 per cent. + 6 per cent.
United Kingdom exports to sterling area 1st 9 months 1955 not yet available + 4 per cent.
1st 6 months 1955 + 4 per cent. + 3 per cent.
United Kingdom exports to dollar area 1st 9 months 1955 not yet available + 10 per cent.
1st 6 months 1955 + 4 per cent. + 1 per cent.
United Kingdom exports of engineering goods April/September, 1955 + 5½ per cent. 7 per cent.
* Calculated from the export volume indices with the base year 1950.
Volume figures are not available for United Kingdom exports to parts of the world not included in the table above.

I much regret that I was in error on Friday last, in stating in reply to an intervention from my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Mr. Burden), that with certain exceptions the figures I had just given in my speech were volume figures. They were all value figures.