§ Sir C. Osborneasked the President of the Board of Trade by what amount stocks and work-in-progress in the United Kingdom increased in 1968; and what estimate he makes of the effect of this on imports for that year.
§ Mr. DellThe value of the increase in stocks and work in progress in 1968 was £241 million. It is not possible to estimate precisely the effect on imports. Input-output analysis, based on detailed census of production results for 1963, suggests that the direct and indirect import content of stockbuilding in that year was probably between a fifth and a quarter, although this proportion will vary from year to year with the particular pattern of stock-building.