§ 16. Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the fall in net investment by industrial and commercial companies from nearly £4 billion in 1979 to £½ billion in 1983.
§ Mr. Peter ReesGross investment is a better measure of capital expenditure. On that basis, gross domestic fixed capital formation in 1980 prices stood at £43.9 billion in 1979, at £38 billion in 1981 and by 1983 had risen to £42.4 billion.