§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the real interest rates in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) the USA, (c) Germany and (d) Japan for each of the last five years and the present year to date. [40562]
§ Mrs. LiddellReal interest rates are nominal rates adjusted to take account of inflation expectations. But, in the absence of information on inflation expectations, unambiguous measures of real rates cannot be calculated, and no official measures are published. Approximate measures for the past are sometimes calculated by assuming that inflation was fully anticipated and therefore by adjusting nominal interest rates for actual inflation.
Figures for nominal interest rates and inflation can be found in the OECD Main Economic Indicators, which is available in the House of Commons Library.