§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what amount was spent on food imports, including animal feeding stuffs, into the 43W United Kingdom in the last 12 months for which figures are available; what percentage increase this represented over the preceding 12-month period; and what approximate proportion of the 1972–73 figure is attributable to sterling devaluation.
§ Sir G. HoweMonthly and cumulative figures for the year to date are published against Section O in Table II of each issue of the monthly "Overseas Trade Statistics"; for the year ended September 1973 the figures show an increase of 26 per cent. It is not possible to distinguish the effects of exchange rate movement on food imports prices from other factors.