§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total amount of net United States direct investment in the United Kingdom in 1981; and what percentage of United States direct investment in European Economic Community manufacturing industry this total represents.
§ Mr. MacGregor[pursuant to his reply, 2 December 1982, c. 244]: Net United States direct investment is calculated by subtracting from the gross figure loans made by domestic subsidiaries to United States parents, and so is difficult to estimate accurately. But United States direct investment to all countries in 1981 was very low, mainly due to the depressed economic conditions overseas and to high interest rates in the United States of America. According to provisional statistics published by the United States Department of Commerce, gross investment in manufacturing in the United Kingdom in 1981 amounted to $450 million and loans to at least $1 billion, so net direct investment was minus $550 million, compared with $26 million to the European Community. But allowing for the loans, the United Kingdom probably received at least one-third of United States direct investment in manufacturing in the European Community.