§ Mr. George Gardinerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the total overseas debt of Her Majesty's Government and United Kingdom public sector bodies, both foreign currency borrowing and £ sterling debt, at the end of 1978, and give its per capita value.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9 February 1979], gave the following information
The estimates of overseas liabilities of the United Kingdom public sector in foreign currency and sterling at the end of September 1978, excluding any allowance for changes in market values of British Government stocks and local authorities securities and mortgages since the end of 1977, are as follows:
OVERSEAS LIABILITIES OF UNITED KINGDOM PUBLIC SECTOR End September 1978 Foreign currency £ million … … 12,147 £per capita … … 217 Sterling £ million … … 4,690 £ per capita … … 84 Total £ million … … 16,837 £ per capita … … 301 Figures for the end of 1978 are not yet available.