Postal Charges (Hansard, 17 June 1975)

§ Mr. Gregor Mackenzie

The information is given in Col. 437–38.

PERCENTAGE INCREASE (OR DECREASE) IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION FOR THE OECD COUNTRIES
		1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Canada	…	8.2	6.7	3.1	6.9	5.7	2.7	6.0	6.6	8.8	2.4
U.S.A	…	9.3	9.4	2.3	5.3	5.1	-4.1	Nil	8.0	9.3	-0.8
Japan	…	3.4	13.3	19.1	17.3	16.8	16.2	3.0	6.8	17.3	-2.3
Austria	…	3.7	4.5	0.9	6.8	11.9	8.5	6.0	8.5	4.3	5.0
Belgium	…	1.9	1.8	1.8	5.3	10.1	3.1	3.0	5.8	6.4	4.3
Finland	…	6.5	5.3	3.3	5.6	13.7	10.1	2.0	11.8	6.1	1.7
France	…	1.9	7.3	2.5	4.1	12.7	5.6	4.0	7.7	7.1	3.3
German Federal Republic	…	5.6	1.8	-1.7	11.4	13.4	6.3	2.0	3.9	6.6	-0.9
Greece	…	9.0	15.7	4.3	8.2	12.0	10.2	11.0	13.5	15.9	-2.1
Ireland	…	3.7	5.4	7.6	11.8	7.7	2.6	4.0	4.8	10.1	ֵ
Italy	…	5.0	11.3	8.5	6.3	3.7	6.4	Nil	4.0	9.6	4.4
Luxembourg	…	0.9	-3.6	Nil	5.7	13.4	Nil	-1.0	4.0	11.7	3.5
Netherlands	…	5.5	6.0	4.1	11.7	11.9	10.0	6.0	4.7	6.3	2.5
Norway	…	5.5	5.2	4.1	4.8	5.3	4.3	4.0	4.8	5.5	3.5
Portugal	…	6.3	6.7	5.5	10.4	10.1	10.4	-70	21.5	-0.9	ֵ
Spain	…	14.4	15.0	5.5	7.8	15.1	10.5	3.0	15.5	15.1	9.5
Sweden	…	8.3	3.4	2.5	5.6	6.8	6.4	1.0	3.0	6.7	6.3
Switzerland	…	3.8	3.7	3.6	4.3	9.9	8.3	2.0	2.0	5.8	0.9
United Kingdom	…	2.8	1.8	Nil	5.3	3.4	1.6	Nil	2.0	7.8	-1.8
Denmark	…	6.2	1.7	3.3	3.6	12.0	3.1	2.6	8.5	1.3	ֵ
Australia	…	8.4	1.7	5.9	5.6	7.9	4.2	4.0	1.0	10.5	2.6

Sources:

OECD Industrial production Historical Statistics 1955–1971.

OECD Industrial production Quarterly supplement to MEI 1975–1.

For Denmark—IMF International Financial Statistics includes manufacturing and mining only.

For Australia—IMF International Financial Statistics includes manufacturing and electricity and gas only.

ֵ Not yet available.

Figures for Turkey, Iceland and New Zealand are not available from International sources.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAL RATES FOR LETTERS (AT THE FIRST WEIGHT STEP, WHICH COVERS APPROXIMATELY 90 PER CENT. Of BRITISH LETTERS POSTED TO EUROPE) IN THE EEC (RATES OF EXCHANGE AS AT 10TH JUNE 1975)
			Belgium	Denmark	France	Germany (Federal Republic)	Irish Republic	Italy	Luxembourg	Netherlands	United Kingdom
			p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
Belgium	…	…	—	12.3	8.0	8.0	12.3	8.0	8.0	8.0	12.3
Denmark	…	…	10.3	—	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.3
France	…	…	8.6	12.8	—	8.6	12.8	8.6	8.6	8.6	12.8
Germany (Federal Republic)	…	…	9.2	12.9	9.2	—	12.9	9.2	9.2	9.2	12.9
Irish Republic	…	…	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.0	—	9.0	9.0	9.0	7.0
Italy	…	…	6.9	10.4	6.9	6.9	10.4	—	6.9	6.9	10.4
Luxembourg	…	…	4.9	9.9	4.9	4.9	9.9	4.9	—	4.9	9.9
Netherlands	…	…	9.0	10.8	9.0	9.0	10.8	9.0	9.0	—	10.8
United Kingdom	…	…	8.0	8.0	8.0	8.0	7.0	8.0	8.0	8.0	—

INTERNATIONAL PRINTED PAPERS POSTAL RATES IN THE EEC (RATES OF EXCHANGE AS AT 10TH JUNE 1975)
	United Kingdom	Belgium^*	Denmark	France	Germany (Federal Republic)	Irish Republic	Italy	Luxembourg^*	Netherlands^*
	Present	Proposed
	(17.3.75)	(5.1.76)	(15.12.74)	(1.4.75)	(16.9.74)	(1.7.74)	(1.10.74)	(25.3.75)	(1.3.73)	(1.9.74)
	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
Printed Papers (full rate)—
20g	5.0	6.0	6.2	5.5	7.5	5.5	5.0	—	4.9	5.4
50g	7.0	8.0	8.6	7.8	9.7	9.2	6.0	3.5	6.2	7.2
l00g	8.5	10.0	9.9	7.8	12.9	11.0	8.0	4.5	7.4	9.0
250g	11.0	16.0	12.3	12.7	24.8	12.9	11.0	6.9	12.3	12.5
500g	19.0	28.0	22.2	22.2	33.4	22.1	18.0	12.1	22.2	22.4
1000g	32.0	48.0	38.2	37.2	53.8	38.6	30.0	20.7	37.0	37.6
2,000g	54.0	80.0	64.1	63.3	75.3	62.5	50.0	34.5	61.7	62.7
Printed Papers (reduced rate)—
20g	4.0	5.0	3.7	3.2	3.8	—	—	N.A.	2.5	2.7
50g	5.0	6.0	4.9	4.8	4.8	5.5	4.0	N.A.	3.1	3.6
100g	6.0	7.0	6.2	4.8	6.5	5.5	5.0	N.A.	3.7	4.5
250g	8.5	11.0	8.6	7.8	12.4	7.4	7.0	N.A.	6.2	6.3
500g	15.0	20.0	12.3	13.5	16.7	11.0	12.0	N.A.	11.1	11.2
1,000g	27.0	35.0	22.2	22.2	26.9	20.3	22.0	N.A.	18.5	18.8
2,000g	48.0	65.0	37.0	38.0	37.7	31.3	40.0	N.A.	30.8	31.4
^* It is understood that the Benelux countries apply reciprocally, lower rates than those given in the table.
The Post Office informs me that it has no evidence that these differences, even where they are adverse, are impeding the efforts of British exporters.

438W