§ 10. Mr. Beswickasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will review the growing imports of German radio and television sets in the light of the increasing unemployment and short-time working in the British radio industry.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftNo, Sir. The measures which have been taken to 536 reduce home demand apply equally to imported radio and television sets as to those made in this country. It would not be in our interest, as a country vitally dependent on export trade, to re-impose quota restrictions on imports in order to give the radio, or any other, industry protection additional to that provided by the tariff.
§ Mr. BeswickDo not the figures which the right hon. Gentleman gave last week show that imports from Germany are rising rapidly, and, in view of the fact that the Government appear to be doing nothing to help the employment situation in the radio industry, will they not review these imports?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI have received no application to do so; in fact, the import duty is the same both ways, the German and our own.
§ Captain PilkingtonNevertheless, would my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the combined effect of the German and Swedish imports is very serious upon these producers?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThere is a 20 per cent. import duty on these sets, and on top of that Purchase Tax is paid, which increases the effect of the duties. Really, our own manufacturers ought to be able to compete on those terms.
§ Mr. BottomleyIs not the policy of introducing independent television responsible for these importations from Germany which are hurting our manufacturers?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI cannot see why the introduction of independent television should hurt our manufacturers of radio sets.