asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the marginal propensity to import for each additional increment of consumer demand for each year since 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 February 1987, c. 829]: The marginal propensity to import is defined as the ratio of the change from the previous year in the volume of imports of consumer goods to the change from the previous year in the volume of consumers expenditure. Imports of consumer goods (including passenger motor vehicles) along with imports of food, drink and tobacco. The table gives the figures for 1979 to 1986: