§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Treasury has available to it an index of real interest rates in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Ian StewartI refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I have given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Davis)
§ Mr. Terry Davisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing real rates of interest on a quarterly basis for the period 1970 to the present, including figures for short-run and long-run real interest rates.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThere are many problems in estimating both short-term and long-term real interest rates. A discussion of these together with some estimates of pre- and post-tax short-term real interest rates for the United Kingdom, the United States and West Germany appeared in the Bank of EnglandQuarterly Bulletin, December 1983.