§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the effect the increase in the United Kingdom's trade-weighted relative unit values since the second half of 1983 has had on the balance of trade in manufacturing.
§ Mr. SainsburyNone.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish a table showing for each year since 1961 the percentage increase in the volume of output and the volume of imports of consumer goods other than food and fuel together with the International Monetary Fund or other index of competitiveness.
§ Mr. MellorI have been asked to reply.
504WInformation from which percentage changes in import volumes and import price competitiveness may be derived can be found in tables C14 and F3 of the monthly review of external trade statistics and its annual supplement, available from the Library of the House, or on the Central Statistical Office database which may be accessed through the Library. The information is not available for years prior to 1971. Information about percentage changes in the volume of output of consumer goods as defined could be provided only at disproportionate cost.