r cusiness was mainly responsible for a further jump of £1 i in the hire purchase debt in April to a total of £1,003 nd2idon eo of the month. This was £122 million (14%) more than a year ago. After allowing for seasonal influences, new hire purchase and other instalment credit business of both household goods shops and finance houses remained at much the same level in April as in earlier months this year, Compared with a year ago new credit extended in April was about one-third higher, In March the rise was about one-quarter but differing dates for Easter may have affected the figures,
Credit for new cars was around 30% higher in April than a year earlier, Credit for commercial vehicles showed a similar rise, while for used cars the rise was about 40. Direct debt owed to finance houses increased by a further £20 million in April to a total of £668 million at the end of the month. Compared with a year ago, sales by household goods shops as a whole were up by about one-tenth in April against rather larger rises in January and February, when the comparisons were with periods affected by the severe weather in the early part of 1963, and san increase of only about 5% in March.
The increase in sales in April, compared with a year earlier was rather higher for hardware, radio and electrical, etc, group of shops, .t just over 10% than for furniture and furnishing group, where the rise was about The Hire purchase and other instalment credit sales in the household goods departe ments of stores were about 5% hizher in April than a year earlier. Debt outstanding to household goods shops as a whole decreased slightly in April to a total of £335 million at the end of the month.