§ 39. Mr. Wyattasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a further statement on the relaxation of restrictions imposed on East-West trade.
§ The Minister of State, Board of Trade (Mr. Heathcoat Amory)I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. George Craddock) on 25th May.
§ Mr. WyattCan the right hon. Gentleman give any indication how these talks in Paris are getting on? Is he satisfied with the progress, and in particular can he say whether there has been any change in our attitude towards trade with China?
Mr. AmoryAs my right hon. Friend said in the answer to the Question to which I have just referred, considerable progress has been made in this matter in Paris. The negotiations are proceeding fairly satisfactorily.
§ 40. Mr. Wyattasked the President of the Board of Trade why he refuses to allow the export of any diesel generators of 750 kilowatts or more to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Mr. AmoryThe export of these generators is not prohibited, but it has to be kept within limits for security reasons.
§ Mr. WyattCan the right hon. Gentleman say what he means by "Not prohibited," as, if anybody makes an application, as a firm has done recently, to 891 export such generators, the application is refused. Surely that must mean that the export is prohibited?
Mr. AmoryNo. The hon. Gentleman is not correct. All the applications have not been refused. Actually, 16 generators of 750 kilowatts or more have been authorised for export in the last 12 months. Cases are taken on their merit and we have to bear in mind the ceiling to the quantity that can be permitted for export.
Mr. AmoryThe reason why is the quantity control that I have mentioned. When the ceiling has been reached, clearly no more can be exported.
§ Mr. WyattAre we limited in the number we send to Russia by some regulations of our own or by some agreement with other countries? Is the limit applied by the Minister himself or is it applied because of an agreement with other countries?
Mr. AmoryThere are the agreements, to which I have referred already, in the Consulting Group, which cover certain items which are entirely prohibited for strategic reasons and others in the case of which a certain quantity can be permitted; but there are limits to what can be allowed.