HC Deb 07 February 1974 vol 868 cc417-8W
Mr. Moate

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the latest figures for the United Kingdom surplus/deficit for visible trade with EFTA, and for invisible trade with EFTA, in 1973.

Sir G. Howe

An estimate of the visible trade deficit on a balance of payments basis has not yet been compiled for 1973 but the "crude" balance—that is, the difference between imports cif and exports fob as recorded in theOverseas Trade

INDEX NUMBERS OF OUTPUT*
Average 1973 = 100: not seasonally adjusted
Week ending
24th November 1st December 8th December 15th December 22th December 29th December
Ethylene N/A N/A 92‡
Passenger cars‡ N/A N/A 95‡
Commercial vehicles§ N/A N/A 100‡
Television sets:
Monochrome N/A N/A 64‡
Colour N/A N/A 98‡
Cement 101 96 97 101 48||
Coal 80 76 77 77 73 17
Gas sent out 136 155 146 155 147 122
Crude steel 111 102 103 104 93 35
Week ending
5th January 12th January 19th January 26th January
Ethylene N/A 106 112 114
Passenger cars‡ 38 84 76 99
Commercial vehicles§ 32 71 73 80
Television sets:
Monochrome 51 77 76 81
Colour 64 106 109 109
Cement 43 60 68 75
Coal 34 72 71 69
Gas sent out 146 145 141 142
Crude steel 58 78 77 88
* Partly estimated. Too much significance should not be attached to week by week movements in some of the series, which are highly variable.
† Affected by holidays.
‡ Average for month of December.
§ For cars and commercial vehicles output in 1973 was much reduced by industrial disputes.
|| Average for two weeks
N/A—Not available

Statistics—can be obtained from Tables II and V in the December issue of the Overseas Trade Statistics, an advance copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. Estimates of the invisible balance are not compiled.