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Mr. Lorraine Osman
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers signed public interest immunity certificates in the case of Lorraine Osman ; and when they did so.
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Mr. Goodlad : The then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the former hon. Member for Warwickshire North, on 12 June 1990 ; and the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Earl of Caithness, on 21 February 1992.
Middle East
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the Syria- Israel peace talks.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The most recent bilateral talks between Syrian and Israeli delegations were held in Washington from 24 January. The Syrian delegation returned to Damascus after the Hebron massacre on 25 February. We and our European Union partners have encouraged all parties to the peace process to resume direct negotiations as soon as possible.
Iraq
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about military attacks by the Iraqi regime in the marshes in southern Iraq in the past two weeks.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are aware of increased Iraqi military activity in the southern marshes and condemn any violation of Security Council resolution 688. We are monitoring the situation closely with our coalition allies.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the use by Iraqi forces of napalm incendiary bombs in military attacks in the marshes in southern Iraq ; what is the status of such devices ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are aware of increased Iraqi military activity in the southern marshes and condemn any violation of Security Council resolution 688. There is no evidence of napalm attacks against the marsh Arabs. We are monitoring the situation closely with our coalition allies.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the recent change in the level of Iraqi troop and militia deployment along the border of the Kurdish-controlled region of the country.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have received reports from the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq of increased Iraqi troop movements and deployments in the area. We are assessing these reports and are monitoring the situation closely with our coalition allies. We require the Iraqi regime to comply with United Nations resolution 688 which called on Iraq to cease the repression of its civilian population.
Sudan
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he proposes to take to extend the European Union arms embargo on Sudan into a comprehensive United Nations-led arms embargo.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : A global arms embargo would require the passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution. We have not ruled out recourse to the United Nations Security Council, but would not want to pursue this option unless we were sure that this was the right tactic.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the European Union is making representations that there should be a strengthened and resident human rights presence in Sudan under the United Nations Commission on Human Rights' special rapporteur.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : At the recent meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights we and our European Union partners whole- heartedly supported the resolution on the human rights situation, commending the report of the United Nations special rapporteur, which recommended that the situation should be monitored by national and international non-governmental human rights organisations, who should enjoy free access throughout the country.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for the last 12 months how many parliamentary questions he has referred to one of his Department's agencies for answer ; and what precentage of parliamentary questions to his Department this represents.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : A part of one written parliamentary question was referred to the Wiston House Conference Centre, Wilton Park. The reply appeared with my answer in the Official Report of 18 February, at column 1034. This represents less than 0.01 per cent. of the parliamentary questions dealt with by this Department over the last 12 months.
Overseas Students
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many scholarships are being awarded to overseas students ; how much is being spent on those from the ODA budget during the current year ; what was the number and cost in real terms (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years ago ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The 1993-94 expenditure figures are not yet complete. But we expect a total of 15,100 scholarships for overseas students funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to have been taken up this financial year. The ODA's provision--11,300 awards--is worth some £118 million, which includes an estimate of £10 million for other training activities for which an accurate forecast is not available.
The number and cost in real terms five, 10 and 15 years ago are as follows :
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Cost in Real Terms-(1993-94 prices)
£ million
Year |ODA |ODA
|component |component
------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |19,088 |(13,882) |129.91 |(112.17)
1983-84 |9,081 |(6,666) |84.76 |(76.53)
1978-79 |7,709 |(7,643) |55.95 |(55.12)
Foreign Affairs Council
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) of 9 March, Official Report, column 245, on items agreed and adopted at the meeting of the European Community's Foreign Affairs Council held on 21 to 22 February, what formal votes were taken otherwise than on the United States' and European Community's mutual recognition on spirit designations ; and if he will make it his practice to record automatically in future answers on all such votes, including those where no formal votes have been taken.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : There were no votes on the other items discussed in the Council and recorded in my statement on 9 March. The Council also formally approved a number of measures on which agreement had already been reached--known as A points--without further discussion. Details are given in the Council secretariat press releases issued after Council meetings. Copies will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Wells : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 15 March in Brussels.
Mr. Hurd : I attended the Foreign Affairs Council held in Brussels on 15 March.
The Council reached a satisfactory agreement on the fisheries aspect of Norway's accession negotiations. The common fisheries policy's rules applying within the waters of the Twelve generally, and the special rules applying to Spain and Portugal under the accession treaty, are unchanged. Reciprocal arrangements for access to Community and Norwegian resources, including the setting of total allowable catches and quotas, fully respect the principle of relative stability. Transitional arrangements have been agreed which enable Norway to continue its fisheries agreement with Russia until it expires at the end of June 1998, and to continue various features of its current management and control system north of 62 deg north for up to three years on a non-discriminatory basis. The Council also agreed arrangements to provide additional quotas of cod for the cohesion countries. On this basis, Norway settled its terms of accession to the European Union.
The Foreign Affairs Council also discussed the qualified majority voting arrangements which will apply once the EFTAn applicants have joined the European Union. With Spanish support, I emphasised the need to ensure the adequate protection of significant minorities in the Council. Other Ministers argued that the qualified majority should be kept constant as a proportion of the total
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number of votes after enlargement. The matter will be discussed again at a specially convened Foreign Affairs Council on 22 March. There was a useful discussion on the new own resources decision and the budget discipline decision in which some progress was made towards securing United Kingdom objectives. Both issues will be discussed at ECOFIN on 21 March, where we hope for agreement on all outstanding points.There were no formal votes.
Angola
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Angola, with particular reference to the number of villages being besieged by UNITA troops ; and what representations he has made to the United Nations for action to bring to an end the civil war.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Fighting in Angola continues, mainly in the north and north-east. The principal towns currently besieged by UNITA are Menongue, Luena, Kuito and Malange.
We were actively involved in drawing up United Nations Security Council resolution 903 of 16 March, which maintained the sanctions against UNITA which brought them to the negotiating table. We continue to support the efforts of the United Nations to persuade both sides to reach a settlement.
Yugoslavia
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent communication he has received from Lord Owen in respect of the bomb explosion in Sarajevo market on 5 February ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Lord Owen is in regular communication with European Union Foreign Ministers. These communications are confidential.
Malaysia
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he first became aware of the inclusion of reference to civil aid and arms sales contained in the March 1988 Malaysian protocol.
Mr. Goodlad [holding answer 8 March 1994] : In October 1993.
TREASURY
Taxation
Sir David Knox : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 3 February, Official Report, column 826, if he will show tax- free incomes,
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defined as personal income tax allowances plus child benefits, as percentages of average male manual earnings for single-wage families with (a) one, (b) two, (c) three and (d) four children in each year since 1979-80.Mr. Dorrell : These figures should be interpreted with care as a £1 increase in child benefit is worth four times as much to a taxpayer with a marginal rate of 25 per cent. as a £1 increase in the personal allowance. The figures given in my answer of 3 February therefore give a more reliable picture of the effect of income tax allowances and child benefit on the incomes of the relevant families.
Science and Engineering Research Council
|Year
|closed
-----------------------------------------------
Royal Greenwich Observatory
Cambridge
Herstmonceux |1988
Daresbury Laboratory
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Chilton
Astrophyics Research, Culham |1973
Appleton Laboratory, Ditton |1981
Atlas Computer Laboratory |1975
<1> Units marked <1> converted to designated
research centres within host universities.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the increase in the tax bill for a typical family in the next year compared with the current year ; and what is the increase in earnings for the average family since 1979.
Mr. Dorrell : Estimates of the impact of the main tax-related measures in the 1993 Budgets are in the table. Since 1978-79, average gross male earnings have increased by 40 per cent. in real terms. Over the same period, real net take-home pay--after tax and inflation--has increased by the same amount.
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Average impact of 1993 budget measures on households<1>
1994-95 1995-96
|£ per week|Percentage|£ per week|Percentage
|of net |of net
|income |income
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
All households |5.75 |1.9 |8.75 |2.8
Pensioners |1.00 |0.7 |1.90 |1.3
Poorest 20 per cent. |1.40 |1.2 |2.55 |2.1
Richest 20 per cent. |12.00 |2.0 |16.70 |2.8
<1> Estimates based on the 1989-91 Family Expenditure Surveys, uprated to
1994-95 price and earnings levels on the basis of illustrative assumptions
about price and earnings growth. The figures are relative to indexation and
include the main tax measures directly affecting households. They are net
of the increases in benefits to help meet higher fuel bills. The 1994-95
figure includes measures implemented between November 1993 and the November
1994 Budgets. The 1995-96 figures also includes other pre-
announced measures to be implemented bfore the November 1995 Budget.
Ms Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 19 January, Official Report, columns 635-41, (1) if he will provide estimates in 1993-94 prices of the real disposable income after tax of similar family types across a similar range of incomes in 1993-94 and 1994-95 ;
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(2) if he will provide estimates in 1993-94 prices of the real disposable income after tax of a married couple with two children on average earnings in 1993-94 and 1994-95.Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 10 March 1994] : Estimates of disposable income in 1993-94 for the hypothetical families requested are in the table. Real disposable income in 1994-95 will depend on what happens to earnings and prices.
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Income after income tax and National Insurance contributions, 1993-94
£ per week
Multiples of average earnings
|50 |75 |100 |150 |200 |300 |400 |500 |700 |1,000 |2,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Single |141.65 |201.04 |260.42 |387.30 |495.27 |711.21 |927.15 |1,143.09|1,574.97|2,222.79|4,382.19
Married, one working, no
children |149.92 |209.31 |268.69 |398.24 |508.50 |724.44 |940.38 |1,156.32|1,588.20|2,236.02|4,395.42
Married, one working, two
children |168.02 |227.41 |286.79 |416.34 |526.60 |742.54 |958.48 |1,174.42|1,606.30|2,254.12|4,413.52
Married, both working, no
children |168.72 |231.87 |291.58 |410.34 |530.18 |774.31 |1,003.77|1,219.71|1,651.59|2,299.41|4,458.81
Notes:
1. Income tax payments are calculated on the assumption that the household receives no tax reliefs other than the standard allowances
and only has income from employment. All earners, including wives, are assumed to pay class 1 National Insurance Contributions at the
contracted-in-rate.
2. Child benefit is included in the income of the married couple with two children.
3. Average earnings are taken to be the average gross weekly earnings of full-time males on adult rates with pay unaffected by
absence. These are assumed to be £359.90 a week in 1993-94, based on the illustrative earnings growth assumption of 3.5 per cent.
Where both partners are working, the husband and wife are assumed to share the relevant multiple of average male earnings in the
ratio 60:40.
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Exchange Rates
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his estimate of the real exchange rate for sterling, the deutschmark, the United States dollar and the French franc for each year since 1981 ;
(2) what is his estimate of the real exchange rate for sterling on (a) April 1992, (b) February 1993 and (c) March 1994 ; (3) if he will make a statement on the reasons for the current trend in sterling's relative position against the ecu ; and if he will set out the difference between sterling's actual position and its previous ERM value in (a) November 1992, (b) February 1993, (c) November 1993 and (d) February 1994 ;
(4) what was the nominal exchange rate against the ecu in (a) January 1993 and (b) December 1989 ; what was the corresponding change in the real exchange rate against the ecu based on (i) relative producer prices, (ii) relative export unit values and (iii) the terms of trade for manufactures ; and what has been the effect on the output and employment in manufacturing industry ;
(5) if he will give the devaluation since September 1992 in real and nominal terms up to February 1994 of (a) the pound sterling, (b) the Italian lira and (c) the Spanish peseta coupled with the changes in the national balance of trade and the rate of inflation of these countries over the same period ;
(6) what is the Government's policy on the level to which sterling may fall against the deutschmark in relation to the level agreed when the United Kingdom entered the exchange rate mechanism in October 1990.
Mr. Nelson : Sterling's exchange rate against the Community currencies, the United States dollar and the ecu can be found in the monthly Central Statistical Office's "Financial Statistics" publication. The weighted composition of the ecu is set by the European Commission and can be found in the "Official Journal" No. L189, 4 July 1989. Export and import prices for all Community countries can be found in the monthly International Monetary Fund "International Financial Statistics" publication. Price and trade figures for all Community countries can be found in the monthly Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development "Main Economic Indicators" publication. Together these data can be used to calculate the information requested. "Main Economic Indicators" also provides output figures, including industrial production, and manufacturing employment data for the United Kingdom.
The real exchange rate is only one factor affecting output and employment in manufacturing industry. It is difficult to isolate the effect of changes in the real exchange rate from that of other factors, such as activity in the United Kingdom's trading partners and barriers to free trade. Manufacturing output in the three months to January was up 2.1 per cent. on the same period a year ago and manufacturing productivity in the three months to January was up 2.9 per cent. on the same period a year ago.
Movements in the exchange rate form part of our continuing assessment of monetary conditions but we have no specific targets for sterling's exchange rate. Since leaving the exchange rate mechanism, sterling's exchange rate has floated. Sterling's exchange rate against the ecu reflects day-to-day market trading in all the Community currencies.
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Bank of England
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the regulatory functions of the Bank of England ; how many staff are employed in each case and at what cost to the Exchequer directly or indirectly ; and what consideration has been given to creating executive agencies to do the work or to privatisation.
Mr. Nelson : The Bank of England regulatory functions consist of banking supervision and the supervision of the wholesale market. About 300 staff are employed in banking supervision and about 30 more on wholesale market. The costs of these functions are in effect met by the Bank's income from non-interest bearing deposits placed with the Bank by the banking sector. There is no cost to the Exchequer. A move to create executive agencies would not be appropriate since such agencies are parts of a Government Department, while the Bank of England is a public corporation. There are no plans to privatise these functions.
Unemployment
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the change in the level of unemployment between 1979 and 1993 in each of the founder members of the EEC and in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Nelson : The relevant statistics can be found in the latest edition of "European Economy"--1993, No. 55,--published by the European Commission, in the statistical annexe table 3.
Economic Growth
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the rate of economic growth between 1979 and 1993 (a) in Britain and (b) in each other founder member of the EEC.
Mr. Nelson : The figures requested can be found in table 10 of the statistical annexe to the latest edition of "European Economy", published by the European Commission.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate for the average annual rate of United Kingdom economic growth in 1988-1993 and the average rate in 1968 to 1973, 1973 to 1979 and 1979 to 1988 ; and if he will include corresponding figures for the EEC Six collectively and for the United States of America.
Mr. Nelson : The figures requested can be calculated from section VI, table 7 of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development publication, "National Accounts", the table on gross domestic product in the appendix to the OECD publication "Main Economic Indicators", and table 10 of the statistical annexe to the latest edition of "European Economy", published by the European Commission.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average rate of growth of the United Kingdom and the six founder members of the EEC since 1979 ; and what conclusions he has drawn from these figures.
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Mr. Nelson : The figures requested are published by the European Commission in table 10 of the statistical annexe to "European Economy".
Manufactures
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the change in the terms of trade for finished manufactures since the winter of 1986-87 ; and what has been the effect of the change on (a) imports and exports of finished manufactures and (b) output and employment in manufacturing industry ;
(2) what was the change in the terms of trade for finished manufactures since the second half of 1973 ; and what has been the effect on (a) imports and exports of finished manufactures and (b) output and employment in manufacturing industry.
Mr. Nelson : In the fourth quarter of 1993, it is estimated that the terms of trade of finished manufactures were 12 per cent. higher than in the two winter quarters of 1986-87 and 32 per cent. higher than in the second half of 1973. No estimates are available for the contribution of the terms of trade in finished manufactures to changes in exports and imports of finished manufactures or manufacturing output and employment.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of semi-manufactures imported from non-EEC countries competes on price directly or indirectly with home-produced goods ; whether the prices of such imports have risen or fallen in the last three years ; and what effect the price changes have had on domestic production.
Mr. Nelson : Figures for the prices of imported semi-manufactures from non-EEC countries are available on the Central Statistical Office data base, which can be accessed through the House of Commons Library. The identifier is ENUK. All imported semi-manufactures potentially compete directly or indirectly with home-produced goods. No estimates are available of the effect of these import price changes on domestic production.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the reduction in imports and increase in exports of manufactures which the Treasury model of the economy shows would follow a reduction in the sterling exchange rate against the ecu to its average in February 1993 after 12 and 24 months.
Mr. Nelson : All hon. Members have access to the Treasury model through the House of Commons Library. It is Treasury practice not to provide the results of model simulations in answer to parliamentary questions. This is due both to the excessive cost involved and the difficulty in making appropriate assumptions without knowing the context in which the figures will be used.
Interest and Exchange Rates
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) by whom the United Kingdom was represented at the recent meeting of the European Monetary Institute to co-ordinate interest rate policy ; what was the purpose of that meeting ; what proposals were made to co-ordinate interest rate policies or to use the leeway provided by 15 per cent. bands to achieve economic convergence ; and what is the Government's policy on the proposals ;
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(2) who represents the United Kingdom in the discussions between the EEC central banks aimed at restoring the former currency parities within the exchange rate mechanism ; what steps are taken to ensure the views expressed by the United Kingdom representative have had the prior approval of the Government ; and what undertakings, assurances and understandings, express or implied, have been given concerning the future rate of exchange between sterling and the Ecu.Mr. Nelson : The Governor of the Bank of England is a member of the council of the European Monetary Institute--EMI. Article 10 of the EMI statute states that the proceedings of the EMI council meetings shall be confidential, though the council may, acting unanimously, decide to make the outcome of its deliberations public.
Articles 3 of the EMI statute requires the EMI to carry out the tasks and functions conferred upon it by the Maastricht treaty and the statute without prejudice to the responsibility of the competent authorities for the conduct of monetary policy within the respective member states. In accordance with article 8 of the EMI statute, the Governor, representing the Bank of England, acts according to his own responsibilities. These include implementation of the Government's monetary policy.
Decisions concerning the parities of participating currencies in the ERM are taken by Ministers and central bank governors of the member states. No undertakings, assurances or understandings, express or implied, have been given concerning the future rate of exchange between sterling and the ecu.
Consumer Goods
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the output of consumer goods between 1985 and June 1993 for (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the other member states of the EEC ; and if he will make a statement on the changes.
Mr. Nelson : Statistics for the output of consumption goods in EC member states are shown in table 0408 of "Data for Short-term Economic Analysis", published monthly by Eurostat. This publication is available in the Library.
Semi-manufactures
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To 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. Nelson : Figures 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.
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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.Japanese Trade
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the Japanese trade surplus on the world economy.
Mr. Nelson : The Japanese trade surplus reflects, in the main, structural factors, such as the high domestic savings ratio, and Japan's relative cyclical position. Free trade is vital to maximise the opportunities for world growth ; the world economy would benefit from any reduction in restrictions on access to the Japanese market.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1964 (a) Japanese imports and exports of (i) goods and services, (ii) goods less manufactures and (iii) manufactures, (b) the trade-weighted nominal exchange rate and (c) the relative export prices of manufactures.
Mr. Nelson : The relevant statistics are available from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development statistics directorate publication "Current Economic Indicators", the OECD publication "Monthly Statistics of Foreign Trade" and the International Monetary Fund publication "International Financial Statistics", monthly and yearly editions.
Exports
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the volume of exports in the period 1985 to 1992 for (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the other member states of the EEC ; and if he will make a statement on the changes.
Mr. Nelson : Figures for United Kingdom export volumes are available on the Central Statistical Office data base, which can be accessed through the House of Commons Library. Figures for other member states of the EC are available in "OECD Economic Outlook", December 1993, available through the House of Commons Library.
Tourism
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change since the second half of 1973 in the real exchange rate relative to that of the EC Six ; what has been the effect of this on the prosperity of the south coast resorts ; and if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1970 (i) imports of tourism from and exports to the EC Six in terms of 1993 prices and (ii) the net effect on output and employment in the United Kingdom tourist industry.
Mr. Nelson : Sterling's exchange rate against the currencies of the six original members of the Community can be found in the monthly Central Statistical Office's "Financial Statistics" publication. Price data for these countries can be found in the monthly Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development "Main Economic Indicators" publication. Together, these data can be used to calculate the change in the real exchange rate since 1973.
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The real exchange rate is only one factor affecting prosperity of the south coast resorts and output and employment in the United Kingdom tourist industry as a whole. It is impossible to isolate the effect of changes in the real exchange rate from that of other factors, such as activity in the tourist industries of other regions and countries. Data on the number of tourists and their related expenditure in current prices from and to the six countries are available in the "Business Monitor MQ6", published by the CSO. The yearly CSO "United Kingdom Balance of Payments" publication contains a service industry deflator which can be used to convert to 1993 prices.Intermediate Goods
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the output of intermediate goods between 1985 and June 1993 for (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other member states of the EC ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nelson : Statistics for the output of intermediate goods in EC member states are shown in table 0406 of "Data for Short-term Economic Analysis", published monthly by Eurostat. This publication is available in the Library.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the relative position of the United Kingdom in table 0406 of the February issue of "Eurostat Data for Short term Economic Analysis" in terms the percentage change in output in intermediate goods between 1985 and the 1993 of the USA, Japan and the EC member countries.
Mr. Nelson : Total industrial production is a more important indicator than any of its market sector components. In the latest three months for which figures are available, compared to a year earlier, production rose 3 per cent. in the United Kingdom, while it fell in Japan, Germany, France and Italy.
Gross Domestic Product
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the volume of gross domestic product in the period 1985 to 1992 for the United Kingdom and the other member states of the EEC ; and if he will make a statement on the changes.
Mr. Nelson : GDP statistics for the United Kingdom and other EC member states are published by Eurostat and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Copies of their latest publications are available in the Library.
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