§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table comparing the increase in the trading deficit in (a) coal other than anthracite and (b) fuel oil in the first 11 months of 1984 compared with the same period in 1983, together with his estimate of the effect of this on the exchange rate and on the real cost of imports generally.
§ Mr. ChannonThe trade balances for coal other than anthracite, and fuel oil are in the table. Estimates of the effects of changes in trade balances on exchange rates and imports costs cannot be meaningfully estimated.
393W
Overseas Trade Statistics Basis £ million, not seasonally adjusted 1983 1984 Increase in deficit between periods Coal other than anthracite* January to November -7 -413 406 Year as a whole -1 -469 468 Fuel Oil† January to November -669 -2,353 1,684 Year as a whole -722 -2,690 1,970 * SITC Division 32 less Subgroup 322.1. † SITC Subgroup 334.4.