§ 31. Mr. Biffenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate he has formed of the balance of trade and net capital movements for the current year; and what is the expected impact on the exchange rate of sterling.
§ Mr. BarberThe current account was in surplus in the first five months of this year, and I expect a surplus for the year as a whole. Visible trade should improve in the coming months reflecting the generally expected recovery in world trade. We do not publish forecasts about the capital account.