§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list on the basis of July to December 1973 = 100, the United Kingdom terms of trade for finished manufactures together with(a) the volume of imports and exports of finished manufactures and (b) the surplus/deficit on trade in manufactures at 1992 prices. [1539]
§ Mrs. LiddellThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 3 June 1997:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question concerning UK trade in manufactured goods.
The information is not available at 1973 or 1992 prices. However, volumes and information from which terms of trade may be calculated are available, using 1990 as the base year, from the ONS database which may be accessed by the House of Commons Library. Balances of trade in manufactures at current prices are available from the same source.