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a month in the first quarter to 65,000 tons 35mn in the third
tons Page 535 of
of
17. Vessels undergoing repair or conversion declined from 3,396,000 tons at the end of 1947 to 3,069,000 tons at the end of 1948 and to 2,339,000 tons at the end of September 1949. The decline was to be expected as the conversion and reconversion programmes approached completion and the arrears of war-time repair work were made good.
III.—Building
18. There was a marked increase in the number of new permanent houses (excluding aluminium houses) completed, from 14,324 in August to 16,792 in September, but this was well below the figure of 19,157 for September 1948.
19. The number of new contracts placed during September fell to 15,870, the smallest monthly figure since April. The number of houses under construction rose slightly to 198,206 at the end of September, compared with 197,931 at the end of September 1948.
IV. External Trade
20. The value of United Kingdom exports rose in September to £142.0 million compared with £137·1 million in August and £141·7 million in July. The volume of exports is provisionally estimated at 144 per cent. of the 1938 average compared with 138 per cent. in August, 143 per cent. in July and an average of 156 per cent. in the first quarter of the year. The value of textiles exported fell in September to £27.6 million-the lowest monthly figure since June 1948.
21. Owing to the interval between the time when shipments are made and declarations received, the September figures of exports do not reflect any effect of the changes in the exchange rates.
22. Exports to the United States rose from £3.3 million in August to £4 1 million in September. The monthly average of £3.7 million, in the third quarter showed a slight improvement on the second quarter, but was still well below the average of £5.3 million in the first quarter of the year. Exports to Canada were maintained at an average of £6.6 million a month during the first half of this year but declined in August to £5.7 million and in September to £5.3 million.
United Kingdom Exports to the Western Hemisphere
(Monthly averages)
Total to Western
Hemisphere (1)
To United States
To Canada
Per cent. of total United Kingdom exports
To
To
To
Western
United Canada
£ million
Hemisphere States
(1)
1938
1947
6.9
1.7
2.0
17.7
4.4
5.0
14.9
4.0
3.7
15.7
4.2
3.9
1948 1st Quarter
20.5
5.8
5.1
17.4
4.9.
4.4
2nd Quarter
20.3
5-1
5.8
15.6
3.9
4.5
...
3rd Quarter
21.8
5.7
6.2
16.1
4.2
4.6
4th Quarter
25.5
5.6
6.9
17.6
3.9
4.7
1949 1st Quarter
24.6
5.3
6.6
16.0
3.4
4.3
2nd Quarter
18.9
3.3
6.6
13.1
2.3
4.6
July
20.6
3.8
6.7
14.5
2.7
4.7
August
22.8
3.3
5.7
16.6
2.4
4.2
September
20.5
4.1
5.3
14.5
2.9
3.8.
Pagenuding faped and Philippines, but excluding
Sterling Area countries.