HC Deb 21 January 1980 vol 977 c29W
Mr. Knox

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the balance of payment surplus or deficit in each year since 1945.

1980 Mr. Lawson

Estimates of the United Kingdom's balance on current account for the years 1946 to 1975 are available on page 125 ofEconomic Trends, Annual SupplementEdition, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. The official comparable figures are not available for 1945. The latest estimates for 1976–79 are as follows:

£ million
1976 —1,152
1977 —202
1978 +714
1979 —2,418

The estimate for 1979 includes a projection of invisibles transactions for the fourth quarter and so is particularly subject to revision as further information becomes available.