§ 12 and 27. Sir W. Wakefieldasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he is aware that, under the Anglo-Argentine Trade Treaty Agreement, the United Kingdom can export to the Argentine an equal number of vehicles as Germany under equal conditions, but that discrimination is taking place in favour of Germany as against the United Kingdom in the granting of import licences; and what steps he is proposing to take;
(2) if he is aware that 21 passenger cars, 609 tractors and 212 other vehicles were imported into the Argentine from the United Kingdom in the six months ended August, 1953, whereas in the same period 1,708 vehicles and 2,380 tractors were imported into the Argentine from Germany; and what steps he is taking to rectify the position.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI cannot confirm the figures contained in Question No. 27; but imports from Germany of vehicles, and particularly of cars, have been substantially larger than those from the United Kingdom despite the undertaking by the Argentine Government to which my hon. Friend refers. We have, accordingly, taken this matter up with the Argentine Government, and the Argentine Foreign Minister has promised to consider it urgently.