Exports

HC Deb 20 June 1967 vol 748 cc235-7W

95. Mr. Higgins

asked the President of the Board of Trade by what percentage United Kingdom exports increased between 1964 and 1966; and if he will give the comparable figures for Japan, Italy, Germany, Canada, France and the United States.

Mr. Jay

United Kingdom 14½ per cent., Japan 46½ per cent., Italy 35 per cent., Western Germany 24 per cent., Canada 24 per cent., France 21½ per cent., United States 14½ per cent.

99. Mr. McMaster

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what numerical extent the actual value in 1966 of United Kingdom exports of manufactures other than the erratic items, ships, aircraft and aircraft engines, was greater than the value calculated on the basis of the equation given in Appendix 3, page xx of the May, 1967 issue of Economic Trends.

Mr. Jay

Sufficient information is not yet available on which to calculate an accurate value based on the equation. A preliminary estimate suggests that United Kingdom exports last year were between ½ and 1 per cent. below the estimate calculated from the equation.

100. Mr. McMaster

asked the President of the Board of Trade what evidence he has of the extent to which, in the short-run, demand conditions in overseas markets determine changes in the value of United Kingdom exports.

Mr. Jay

Evidence of the relationship, in the short run, between demand conditions in overseas markets and the value of United Kingdom exports is given in an article on "Short-term Forecasting of United Kingdom Exports" in the May issue of "Economic Trends".

Mr. Richard Wainwright

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will publish from time to time an analysis of United Kingdom exports according to the Department of Economic Affairs region from which they were invoiced.

Mr. Darling

No. The region from which exports are invoiced is not a reliable indication of the region in which the goods were produced.

Sir C. Osborne

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the percentage change in exports of cars, motor cycles and caravans in the nine months, August, 1965, to April, 1966, compared with the same nine months 12 months earlier, and in August, 1966, to April, 1967, compared with August, 1965, to April, 1966.

Mr. Jay

The percentages by value were: for motor cars -2 and -2; for motor cycles +48 and +53; for caravans +12 and -6.