HC Deb 25 November 1982 vol 32 c536W
Sir Anthony Meyer

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of total industrial investment by (a) the United States of America and (b) Japanese companies in (i) the European Community and (ii) Western Europe came to the United Kingdom in 1981.

Mr. Bruce-Gardyne

Industrial investment overseas is recorded as overseas direct investment. However overseas direct investment includes loans to companies from branches, subsidiaries or affiliated companies overseas. Last year United States companies were large net borrowers from United Kingdom subsidiaries and as a result direct investment in the United Kingdom—excluding oil—is estimated by the United States Department of Commerce to be minus $61 million in 1981 compared to an annual investment in the European Community of $873 million and $2,303 million in Western Europe as a whole. The other proportions requested are given in the following table, together with the comparable figures for 1980.

Overseas direct investment from United States of America and Japan in the United Kingdom as a proportion of their direct investment in the European Community (and Western Europe—figures in brackets)
United States (excluding oil) Japan
1980 58.5 (47.8) 42.4 (31.4)
1981 see text 12.0 (10.5)

Sources: Survey of Current Business August 1982.

United States Department of Commerce.

Japanese Balance of Payments Monthly.