asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will enable export credit guarantees arranged through ECGD to be denominated in currencies other than sterling.

ECGD does cover contracts expressed in foreign currencies, although as the Department's statutory limits are in sterling its maximum potential liability in such cases has to be denominated in sterling.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether account was taken, in restricting the rate of return from ECGD loans to the clearing banks under the refinancing scheme, of the commitment fee paid to the clearing banks by the buyer of 1 per cent. of the maximum export credit offered, regardless of amount subsequently drawn down.

Yes, this was one of the factors taken into account in agreeing the overall return to the banks on their fixed rate export lending.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what prohibitions there are on the disclosure to overseas buyers of the amount of insurance premium payable to ECGD; and if he will lift any that exist.

It has long been the practice not to disclose amounts of premium which reflect ECGD's assessment of creditworthiness and other risks involved in individual cases. It would not be in our export interest to alter this.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the agreed rate of return to the clearing banks on their unrefinanced ECGD loans during each of the last 12 months for which figures are available including the 1¼ per cent. margin for the unmarketability of the assets.

The agreed rate of return to the clearing banks on their unrefinanced medium and long-term fixed rate export lending is calculated monthly by taking an observed rate, representing the mean of the average yield on Treasury bills and the lending rate to nationalised industries, plus a margin to compensate the banks for the unmarketability of the assets involved. Until October 1974 this margin was 1¼ per cent.; but, under a revised agreement with the banks, the margin has thereafter been reduced when the observed rate is between 7½ and 14½ per cent. and different margins apply to pre-March 1972 and post-March 1972 advances from November onwards.The rates for each of the past 12 months were: