HC Deb 10 December 1990 vol 182 cc259-60W
Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Minister for the Arts what assessment he has made of the effect on scientific research in the United Kingdom of financial decisions imposed on the British library, including the cut in scientific journals.

Mr. Renton

It is for the British library board to decide on the allocation of its resources, taking into account the needs of its clients. The library is arranging alternative access where possible to the scientific journals and hopes to reinstate them in 1992. Most of them will continue to be taken by the library's document supply centre. The grant in aid for 1991–92 will be £63.79 million, an increase of 10 per cent. over the current year.

Mr. Mellor

A total of 57 per cent. of the increase in the value of imports of manufactures between 1973 and 1989 originated from the EC. The EC's share in the United Kingdom's total trade, both exports and imports, can be expected to rise as a result of the Single European Act and full membership of the EMS. Figures for import penetration in each of the EC countries can be obtained from the latest issue of "International Financial Statistics", published by the International Monetary Fund.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing for each year since 1970 and for the latest quarter, in index form based on 1985, the volume of exports of manufactures from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States of America and Japan.

Mr. Leigh

I have been asked to reply.

The information is in the table.

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