§ Mr. Moateasked 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. HoweAn 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 418W
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.