§ Mr. Shoreasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been, at the latest convenient date, the percentage increase or decrease in the value of the £ sterling since the Smithsonian Agreement of December 1971 against the currencies of the following countries: the United States of America; Canada; Australia; New Zealand; South Africa; the Argentine; Israel; Spain; and the countries of the EEC.
§ Mr. NottChanges have been measured by taking the difference between the central or par rates resulting from the Smithsonian Agreement of December 1971 and the closing middle market rates on 10th December 1973. The following table gives the percentage depreciation of sterling in this period in terms of the currencies of the countries indicated:
Country Percentage depreciation U.S.A —11.2 Canada —10.9 Australia —23.8 New Zealand —24.7 South Africa —23.9 Argentina —11.3 Israel —11.3 Spain —21.6 France —21.0 Belgium —20.3 Holland —22.9 Germany —27.0 Italy — 6.9 Denmark —20.8