29. Miss Wardasked the President of the Board of Trade what safeguards are in operation to ensure that goods covered by the strategical embargo for Iron Curtain countries, and initially consigned 1131 to countries to whom the embargo does not apply, do not subsequently have their designations altered in transit.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftLicensing control is not applied to exports to the Commonwealth (except to Hong Kong), nor to the Irish Republic nor the United States of America; but it is applied to exports to all other countries. Careful checks are made about the intended use of strategic goods before licences are granted and later to verify that the goods have entered the country for which they were licensed. Exporters are liable to penalties if they are concerned in any diversion of their goods to an unauthorised destination.
Miss WardAs the Socialist Government informed me that there was no problem when I raised the matter with them when they were in office, will my right hon. Friend tell me whether there is, in fact, a problem, and, if there is, what is its real size?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI think there has always been a problem, but I believe that our strategic controls operate, and have operated, as effectively as any of the strategic controls imposed by any other country.
§ Mr. SnowCan the right hon. Gentleman explain how it is that American cars are apparently in plentiful supply in China, whereas it was only a few days ago that we lifted the embargo on the export of British cars to Japan?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI have seen a statement on that subject, but I am not at the moment in a position to verify it.