§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish any evidence available to him which suggests that British industry, or any sector of British industry, is finding that export markets are more profitable than the home market or that their prices are becoming more competitive at home and abroad.
§ Mr. CryerSome indication of possible trends in the relative profitability of home and export market is provided by relative movements in export prices and domestic prices. The following table sets out movements since 1970 in the export unit value index for manufactured goods as a percentage of the wholesale price index for home sales of manufactured 87W goods, excluding food, drink and tobacco; 1970=100:
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 100.0 95.6 94.7 98.1 98.8 98.9 103.1
Recent Quarterly Movements 1976 1977 First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter First quarter Second quarter Third quarter 98.8 102.1 103.9 105.2 104.6 102.7 102.3 The table suggests that, after a steady rise through 1976, the relative profitability of export sales may have declined in the first three-quarters of this year, though the level is still considerably higher than the average since 1970.
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 100.0 102.2 102.6 94.1 93.1 96.5 94.9*
Recent Quarterly Movements 1976 1977 First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter First quarter 99.3* 94.4* 95.2* 90.4* 96.2* * Provisional. The figures suggest some loss of export price competitiveness between 1976 and the beginning of this year.