§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the _Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an analysis of United Kingdom savings totals by type of investment or investment product for the most recent three years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. MellorThe table gives, for the period 1987–1989, the latest estimates of amounts invested—inflows net of realisations—by the United Kingdom personal sector in a range of financial instruments which are used to a considerable degree, if not exclusively, as repositories of savings. It is not possible to quantify total savings with precision because of the dual-purpose nature of many of these instruments; equally, other forms of asset, such as property, may at times be regarded by their owners as having a "savings" aspect as well as their primary function.
1987 1988 1989 £ million £ million £ million Life assurance and pensions 21,700 22,396 30,482 National Savings 2,439 1,409 -1,520 Building society deposits 13,635 20,165 17,461 Sterling time deposits with United Kingdom banks 771 8,092 10,968 Unit trusts units 3,239 -248 -719 British government securities 1,826 -3,633 -3,088 United Kingdom company securities -9,850 -12,233 -18,398 Statistical series measuring the personal sector's net acquisition of these and other financial assets are published in the CSO's "Financial Statistics" and can also be found on the CSO database which is accessible through the Library.