§ Miss Quennellasked the President of the Board of Trade on which day of the month the monthly balance of payment figures are first seen by him; and when this custom first began.
§ Mr. DellI assume the hon. Member is referring to the visible trade balance; complete balance of payments figures are not compiled monthly. We receive estimates a few days before the day of publication, which varies from month to month according to a pattern settled at the beginning of the year. Monthly estimates of the visible trade balance were first published for January, 1964.