§ 18. Mr. Platts-Millsasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a list giving details of the specific instances brought to the notice of his Department alleging that the countries of Eastern Europe had closed their markets to the general range of British exports; and if he will say what representations were made to, and what reply received from, the Ministry of Foreign Trade or other appropriate body, in each case.
§ Mr. H. WilsonNo, Sir. The compilation of a list of complaints would not justify the research involved. Imports, into Eastern European countries are made almost entirely by State controlled monopoly organisations, and there is no free market for the general range of United Kingdom exports. Only restricted quantities of the goods we should particularly like to sell gain admittance to these markets. Representation on particular cases are therefore useless, but in our trade agreements with Poland and Czechoslovakia small annual quotas for United Kingdom exports of this kind have been secured as part of an overall bargain.
§ Mr. Platts-MillsThe right hon. Gentleman having now had an opportunity to consider the matter, will he agree that the statement he made on 29th September, that the Eastern European countries had closed their markets, was totally misleading to the House and to the country; and will he not now agree that the real reason we cannot sell the products of our main industries to Eastern Europe is the prohibition imposed by the Marshall Plan, backed up, of course, by the prejudice of many people in this country?
§ Mr. WilsonWell, having had time to consider my previous statement I now consider it a serious understatement of the position. In the discussions I, personally, have had with representatives of, for instance, the Soviet Union I found it totally impossible to get any opening at all for the standard lines of British export goods into that country.