§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each year since 1980 the net results of Britain's invisible trade on a balance of payments basis both in total and distinguishing between services, interests, profits, dividends and transfers.
§ Mr. MajorThe figures requested can be found in table 1.1 of the 1988 edition of the "United Kingdom Balance of Payments", (the CSO's "Pink Book").
They are presented in the following table:
(2) whether, pursuant to his oral answers of 7 November, Official Report, columns 22–27, he will deposit in the Library a transcript of any tape recording made of his briefing to journalists on Friday 4 November;
(3) whether, pursuant to his oral answers of 7 November, Official Report, columns 22–27, he will publish in the Official Report a summary of his briefing to journalists on Friday 4 November in so far as it related to future targetting of benefits.
§ Mr. LawsonI regret that no tape-recording or transcript of the briefing exists. I have nothing to add to the information I gave the House on 7 November.
§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if any of his staff have contacted the newspapers or the correspondents who attended the briefing on 4 November, regarding the articles which had appeared on 6 November on benefits for pensioners;
(2) if the chief information officer or any of his assistants contacted on 4 or 5 November the correspondents who had attended the briefing he gave on 4 November; and if he will make a statement;
(3) which correspondents from Sunday newspapers attended the briefing he gave on 4 November, and which officials;
359W(4) if he intends to continue to give briefings to correspondents of the Sunday newspapers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LawsonIt is not the practice to publish details of ministerial or departmental contacts with the press.
§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has made any official complaint to the secretary of the press gallery regarding the articles on benefits for pensioners which appeared in the Sunday newspapers on 6 November; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will list those statements made in the press on 6 November which misrepresented his statements made to journalists at a briefing on 4 November, to which he referred to in his answer of 7 November,Official Report, column 26.
§ Mr. LawsonI have nothing to add to what I said in the House on 7 November at column21–27.