§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will include in theOfficial Report a table showing for the years 1959, 1969, 1979 and 1988 the assets and liabilities of the clearing banks set out in cash, call money and so on form together with the percentage in each category and the reserves held with the Bank of England in reserve ratios and special deposits.
§ Mr. RyderFigures for the assets and liabilities of United Kingdom banks, and banks' balances with the Bank of England are published in theBank of England Quarterly Bulletin.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will include in theOfficial Report a table showing for the big four clearing banks the profit before and after tax, excluding exceptional provisions in 1959, 1969, 1979 and 1988, together with his forecast for the current financial year.
§ Mr. RyderThe information requested is as follows:
Pre-tax profits Post-tax profits £ million £ million 1969 212 112 1979 1,571 1,081 1988 4,443 2,875 These figures aggregate relevant figures in the annual reports of Barclays, Lloyds, Midland and National Westminster. Comparable figures for 1959 and forecasts for the current financial year are not available.