HC Deb 30 November 1992 vol 215 cc46-7W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing, on the basis of July to December 1983 = 100, the United Kingdom terms of trade for finished manufactures together with (i) the volume of imports and exports of finished manufactures and (ii) the surplus/deficit on trade in manufactures at 1992 prices.

Mr. Nelson

Information from which terms of trade in finished manufactures on a 1985 base may be derived is available on the Central Statistical Office databank which may be accessed through the Library of the House. Information relating to volumes is only calculated at 1985 prices. An index giving the volume of imports and exports of finished manufactures on a 1985 base is published regularly in the Central Statistical Office's "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" and is also available on the Central Statistical Office databank. From these the imports, exports and balances at 1985 prices can be calculated.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish a table showing, on the basis of July to December 1973 = 100, the increase in United Kingdom relative export unit values in dollars for each year since 1970 together with the United Kingdom share of the volume of exports of manufactures by the main manufacturing countries;

(2) what is his estimate of the percentage fall in the real exchange rate since the fourth quarter of 1986 and the second half of 1973 in terms of trade-weighted relative export unit values in dollars;

(3) what is his estimate of the percentage fall in the real exchange rate against the deutschmark and the dollar respectively since the fourth quarter of 1986 and the second half of 1973 in terms of relative export unit values in dollars.

Sir John Cope

The latest figures for both relative export unit values and volume shares of manufacturing exports for the main manufacturing countries are available on the CSO databank which may be accessed through the Library of the House.