§ 15. Mr. Russellasked the President of the Board of Trade why the value of United Kingdom exports to Cuba declined progressively in 1952 and 1953, compared with 1951, in view of the Cuban tariff reductions secured in the Trade Agreement of 1951 and the un favourable balance of trade with that country in all three years.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftAs I informed my hon. Friend on 28th January, it is not possible to explain satisfactorily within the limits of a reply to a Parliamentary Question why exports in general have fallen off in a given market. The 535 value of our exports to Cuba in 1953 cannot be fairly related to the figures for 1951 and 1952, which were increased by deliveries under one important contract for motor buses worth some £3½ million. There was also a large export of sugar machinery in 1951.
§ Mr. RussellIs it not rather extraordinary that after the Trade Agreement of 1951 our balance of trade should be so unfavourable?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftA great many factors are involved in the exports to one particular market and it is impossible to deal with them in answering a single Question.