§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the unit value of semi-manufactures imported from non-EC countries in the three months to the end of January; how this has affected the change since 1990 of the nominal exchange rate against non-EEC currencies; what proportion of such imported semi-manufactures is used by United Kingdom manufacturers of goods other than food, drink and tobacco; what effect that value had on the input price of the materials used by such manufactures; and what was the corresponding change in the nominal exchange rate for sterling against those currencies.
§ Mr. NelsonFigures for the prices of imported semi-manufactures from non-EC countries are available on the Central Statistical Office database, which can be accessed through the House of Commons Library. The identifier is ENUK. The proportion of imported semi-manufactures used by different United Kingdom manufacturers is not available for recent years. 19W Semi-manufactures are not included in the CSO's producer price index of inputs. No estimates are available for the effect of import prices of semi-manufactures on the exchange rate.