HL Deb 15 January 1980 vol 404 cc103-6WA
Baroness HORNSBY-SMITH

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What the total imports of suits from the following countries were in the first nine months of 1979, compared with the same period of 1977 and 1978: The Philippines, Hong Kong, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia, Portugal and Cyprus.

Lord TREFGARNE

The information for woven suits and costumes and for knitted or crocheted suits and costumes of synthetic textile fibres, which account for the great bulk of total imports, is as follows:

The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of INDUSTRY (Viscount Trenchard)

Her Majesty's Government accept that currently the diesel-engined car offers some improvement in fuel economy. However, the desirability of more widespread use of such vehicles is dependent on a wide range of factors, including higher costs to produce diesel engines, potential improvements in the petrol engine, ability to meet gaseous emission and noise regulations,et cetera.

The use of a diesel engine is one of many methods of improving fuel economy. During the last few years research has shown that the economy of the petrol engine can be made to approach and even equal that of the diesel under certain operating conditions.

Any technology, providing it satisfies relevant legislation, which helps improve fuel economy is to be encouraged but it must be left to the commercial and technical judgment of individual vehicle manufacturers to decide to what extent they market particular technology.

House adjourned at twenty-two minutes past six o'clock.