HC Deb 03 June 1954 vol 528 cc1434-7
16. Mr. George Craddock

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet examined the list of requirements given to British firms by the Soviet Minister of Foreign Trade, Mr. Ivan Kabanov, on 4th February this year; and if he will make a statement on similar lines indicating this country's likely requirements of Soviet exports.

23. Dr. Stross

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now initiate discussions with the Soviet authorities on the basis of the proposals made by the Soviet Minister of Foreign Trade, Mr. Ivan Kabanov, on 4th February, 1954, with a view to the negotiation of an agreement for two-way trade between the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Mr. Amory

My right hon. Friend and I have studied Mr. Kabanov's list, which was published in the Board of Trade Journal of 6th March, in order that it should receive wide publicity in trade circles. It is not possible to make a similar statement of United Kingdom requirements, since the import trade of the United Kingdom is almost entirely in private hands. United Kingdom traders buy from all over the world, and what staple products they take from the U.S.S.R. must depend on commercial considerations, such as quality and price. Subject, therefore, to the security controls which, as the hon. Members are aware, are now under review, the development of trade is a matter for arrangement between our businessmen and the State trading authorities in the Soviet Union.

Mr. Craddock

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that if he does all he can to bring pressure on both sides it will be of benefit to both countries to develop this trade?

Mr. Amory

I am not sure that I agree, if the hon. Gentleman really means "exert pressure." We shall certainly encourage both sides, as far as we can, to see that this trade in non-strategic goods is developed.

Dr. Stross

Does not the Minister of State agree that discussions at his level with the Soviet Union might very well clarify the picture, because there is considerable confusion. Is he satisfied that there is no undue pressure from outside, as for example from the Principality of Wales, against such discussions?

Mr. Amory

I am not capable of controlling what happens in the Principality of Wales, but we keep the whole matter under consideration and we shall not overlook anything which we feel will help to extend trade in the way we want.

17. Mr. Bing

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications for licences, and to what value, have been received by his Department for the export of cables and cable products to China, Poland, Roumania, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, respectively, since 1st July, 1953; and the number and value of those refused, the number and value of those allowed, and the number and value of those still under consideration, respectively.

Mr. Amory

The collation of the information on cables asked for by the hon. and learned Member is taking a little time, and I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as possible. As regards cable products, the information asked for could not be made available without an undue expenditure of time and labour.

18. Mr. Bing

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications for licences, and to what value, have been received by his Department for the export of caterpillar and floating cranes to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since 1st July, 1953; and the number and value of those refused, the number and value of those allowed, and the number and value of those still under consideration, respectively.

Mr. Amory

No such applications have been received. No export licence is required for floating cranes, and in the case of caterpillar cranes a licence is required for certain categories only.

Mr. Bing

Has there been any discussion with the right hon. Gentleman's Department, or has his Department intimated in any case that such a licence would be refused for such exports, if applied for?

Mr. Amory

I do not know, but I am sure that my Department would not have given general information of that kind except on a specific application, and so far as I know no specific application has been made.

25 and 26. Mr. Parkin

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what percentage of the average annual volume of textile machinery exports from the United Kingdom is represented by orders placed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Eastern European countries within the last six months;

(2) what percentage of average postwar annual export of metal-working machine-tools is represented by orders at present placed in this country by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics but not yet executed.

27. Mr. George Craddock

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of total British exports of machine tools for the latest convenient complete year is represented by the orders for machine tools to the value of £25 million which the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is willing to place with this country.

Mr. Amory

There is no obligation upon firms to report to Government Departments the orders they obtain from overseas, and our information about orders placed by the U.S.S.R. and Eastern European countries may be incomplete, and there may well be some duplication. Moreover, orders reported to us may be for delivery over a period longer than 12 months. I would prefer, therefore, not to draw the comparisons suggested by the hon. Members because they would, in my view, be quite misleading.

Mr. Parkin

Is the Minister aware that there is nevertheless an obligation on himself and his Department to treat this matter seriously in view of the lead given by the Prime Minister? In view of the suggestions in some commercial and industrial quarters that this sort of business is not worth while because it will not have any long-term value, will the Minister not try to get this information, collate it and report on it, so that those who, political considerations apart, have to consider giving guidance to industry in this country, may be able to arrive at conclusions which will be valuable in the formation of a long-term policy?

Mr. Amory

I assure the hon. Gentleman that I am most anxious to give all possible information, provided that it is accurate. I quite realise the importance of the matter, but it is easy to get hopelessly tangled up with it. I think the hon. Gentleman will agree that we have gone a good long way and are providing as much information as we can. We are most anxious not to issue information in a form which might prove misleading.

Mr. H. Wilson

Can the hon. Gentleman give an assurance that the Government are being really energetic in this matter of the meeting of the consultative committee, which is taking rather a long time to report, and that we are also being energetic on the question of machine tools? There are some very important machine-tool orders outstanding, on which applications have been outstanding now for several months, and on which a decision is really urgently required?

Mr. Amory

I can give the right hon. Gentleman that assurance. There are some important orders outstanding, but I am sure that he will agree with me that the discussions going on are more important even than single orders, however important they may be. They really cover a bigger question altogether.

Mr. Bing

Would not the Minister agree that the value of machine-tool orders now under consideration for the Soviet Union alone exceeds the previous three years' total exports of machine tools to the world from this country?

Mr. Amory

That is a very difficult question to answer, because I think that the figures get fairly close together. I think that the figure of which the hon. and learned Gentleman is thinking is the £25 million. That figure represents applications for licences, and I think it would be wrong to treat that as being equivalent to orders. I think it may well be considerably in excess of orders. That is one of the cases where duplication may crop up, so I would not agree with the hon. and learned Gentleman in his conclusions.