HC Deb 25 June 1953 vol 516 cc2072-4
7. Mr. G. Jeger

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is yet in a position to make a statement on the progress of the trade talks with the Spanish representatives.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

Not yet, Sir. The talks are still in progress.

Mr. Jeger

Has the right hon. Gentleman any idea when the talks will be concluded? If I put down a Question in similar terms in a week or fortnight's time, will he then be able to give a report to the House?

Mr. Thorneycroft

The hon. Gentleman can try.

Sir L. Ropner

Can my right hon. Friend say whether he has received any indications that the Spanish Government are prepared to take a larger quota of British films?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I am engaged in the conversations at this very moment, and I should be wrong to begin giving a partial account of them.

8. Mr. G. Jeger

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many licences have been issued by the Spanish Government during this year for the import of goods from Britain; and if he is satisfied that this bears a generally fair ratio to the treatment accorded to other countries.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

The information asked for in the first part of the Question is not readily available but United Kingdom recorded exports to Spain and the Spanish Possessions in the first four months of this year amounted to some £95 million. With regard to the last part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answers which I gave him on 26th March and 11th June last.

Mr. Jeger

Has the right hon. Gentleman seen the reports in the Press of the number of licences issued in Spain for the importation of British goods, which is usually nil, whereas the licences issued for German goods amount to about 76 a week and over the last three weeks have been more than 1,000 as against 26 for British goods? Is there any truth in these reports?

Mr. Thorneycroft

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will draw my attention to the specific figures before I comment on them. All these matters are being covered in the discussions which are taking place at this very moment. I do not think that I should be serving a very useful purpose if I plunged into the matter at this stage.

Mr. H. Wilson

Can the right hon. Gentleman say, without disclosing the details of the present discussions, how far the strategic restrictions exercised by Her Majesty's Government apply to exports to Spain?

Mr. Thorneycroft

Not without notice.