HC Deb 12 January 1995 vol 252 cc186-8W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the review of trade performance in his Budget speech, if he will show for manufactures, finished manufactures and semi-manufactures, the increase in the volume of imports and exports from(a) the EEC and (b) other countries in (i) the latest three months and (ii) in the year 1993, together with his estimate of the growth of the market for imports in those markets.

Mr. Nelson

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 December,Official Report, column 939.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the average percentage increase in the volume of exports and imports of manufactures(a) in 1972 to 79 and (b) 1965 to 72, the relative volume and relative value in (i) 1965, (ii) 1972, (iii) 1979 and (iv) 1993, together with the balance of exports against imports in terms of value.

Mr. Nelson

Information about exports and imports of manufactures from which percentage increases, relative volumes, relative values and balances may be derived can be found on the Central Statistical Office database which may be accessed through the Library of the House. The information is not available for years prior to 1970.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was(a) the nominal and real exchange rates of the lira against the pound sterling and (b) the balance of payments between the United Kingdom and Italy for each quarter since July 1992.

Mr. Nelson

Exchange rate data for the United Kingdom and Italy in both nominal and real terms—adjusted for relative price movements in a number of other competitor countries—can be found in the IMF publication "International Financial Statistics". However, sterling's real bilateral exchange rate against the Italian lira is unavailable.

Data for bilateral trade in visibles between the United Kingdom and Italy may be found on the Central Statistical Office database, available in the House of Commons Library. Data for bilateral trade in invisibles are also

Production Imports Exports Implied Consumption
1963 £ million 143.5 n/a n/a n/a
000s tonnes 422.2
1973 £ million 270.2 7.1 23.6 253.7
000s tonnes 408.7 13.1 42.2 379.7
1979 £ million 797.4 44.9 104.1 738.1
000s tonnes 409.7 25.9 63.2 372.4
1993 £ million 1,857.50 267.4 297.4 1.827.5
000s tonnes 613.0 121.4 129.1 605.2

Source:

CSO

Production data—Census of Production (1963);

Quarterly Sales Inquiries (1973 and 1979);

PRODCOM (1993)

Imports and Exports—Business Monitor MM20A (1973 and 1979); Business Monitors MM20 and MQ20 (1993)

The production data values represent the invoiced sales of manufacturers at current prices. The data prior to 1993 only cover those manufacturers with 25 or more employees. Data for 1964 are not available—data from the 1963 census of production have been provided as the nearest equivalent.

The implied consumption figures are calculated as production plus imports less exports. They represent the total market for chocolate and chocolate confectionary in the United Kingdom. Consumption data based on the prices paid by consumer in the shops, as opposed to those charged by manufacturers, is shown:

Consumption £ million
1963 n/a
1973 364.7
1979 1,065.0
1993 2,938.0

Source:

MAFF estimates.

available on the database, but in annual form only. Further information about these invisibles figures can be found in an article entitled "Geographical analysis of the overseas invisibles account" in the June 1994 edition of "Economic Trends".

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will complete the United Kingdom entry to the October issue of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Mr. Nelson

Responsibility for the publication "Monthly Statistics of Foreign Trade" lies with the OECD. However, the CSO has provided the OECD with the required data and asked for the series to be updated. The Central Statistical Office is also arranging for this data to be supplied to the OECD regularly in the future.