HL Deb 21 January 1988 vol 492 cc401-2WA
Lord Bruce of Donington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will state, for each of the years 1979–1986 inclusive, and for the period January-September 1987 inclusive, in respect of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore separately in pounds sterling—

  1. (a) UK visible exports to;
  2. (b) UK visible imports from;
  3. (c) UK investment in the country concerned;
  4. (d) Investments in the UK from the country concerned.

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Lord Young of Graffham)

The available information is given in the attached tables.

Table 1
United Kingdom Exports 1979—Jan-Sep 1987
Value £ million
Year South Korea Taiwan Hong Kong Singapore
1979 145.2 103.1 439.5 270.9
1980 101.4 92.4 559.2 327.6
1981 155.8 120.0 618.5 355.0
1982 167.7 125.2 730.7 406.0
1983 169.0 128.4 727.3 469.4
1984 219.6 150.6 897.4 556.5
1985 247.8 164.8 949.2 612.9
1986 288.4 192.5 961.0 547.4
Jan-Sep
1987 313.7 215.7 757.1 436.7

Table 2
United Kingdom Imports 1979—Jan—Sep 1987
Value £ million
Year South Korea Taiwan Hong Kong singapore
1979 269.6 213.5 689.3 185.3
1980 243.5 230.5 849.8 535.5
1981 325.5 321.1 896.6 207.0
1982 321.6 335.3 870.8 245.5
1983 440.3 458.1 1,177.3 403.1
1984 444.1 585.2 1,266.2 488.4
1985 480.4 582.6 1,175.6 441.3
1986 662.0 705.8 1,530.8 462.9
Jan-Sep
1987 669.2 707.9 1,098.7 348.2

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.

Notes: Figures for 1986 and 1987 are provisional.

Exports fob; imports cif.

Table 3
United Kingdom Net Direct Investment Overseas 1979–1985
Value £ million
Year South Korea Taiwan Hong Kong Singapore
1979 — — 54 42
1980 — — 21 51
1981 1 1 283 80
1982 -1 -1 80 50
1983 1 — 380 21
1984 4 1 42 200
1985 5 15 90 6
Table 4
Overseas Net Direct Investment in the United Kingdom 1979–1985
Value £ million
Year South Korea Taiwan Hong Kong Singapore
1979 — — 4 ..
1980 — — -7 ..
1981 .. — -2 ..
1982 .. .. 9 ..
1983 .. — 26 ..
1984 — — -17 ..
1985 — .. 36 2

Source: Overseas transactions Inquiry

Notes: Figures for 1979–1983 exclude oil companies.

Information for 1986 and 1987 is not yet available.

—Nil or less than half the final digit shown.

..Not available.

The information in tables 3 and 4 relates to overseas direct investment only; there is no country detail collected on UK portfolio investment.