Gold and Foreign Currency Reserves

HC Deb 23 April 1971 vol 815 c480W

Mr. Deakins

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current amount of United Kingdom gold and foreign currency reserves per head of population and what are the comparable figures for the United States of America, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy, from information available to him from international sources.

Mr. Higgins

The following figures show the latest available published official reserve holdings of gold, convertible foreign currencies, S.D.R. and (where applicable) lending under the General Arrangement to Borrow, in pounds sterling per head of population:

			£
United Kingdom	…	…	24.88*
United States	…	…	25.96*
Japan	…	…	22.56*
Sweden	…	…	41.09*
Denmark	…	…	48.48*
Switzerland	…	…	260.45*
France	…	…	45.04*
Germany	…	…	94.31†
Italy	…	…	43.88†
* End of March, 1971.
† End of February, 1971.