HC Deb 25 June 1957 vol 572 cc6-7
12. Sir D. Robertson

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider putting foreign motor-cars on open general licence so that the British fishing industry can enter into barter arrangements with foreign manufacturers in exactly the same manner as British motor-car manufacturers are importing foreign fish.

Mr. Walker-Smith

No, Sir.

Sir D. Robertson

What reason has this or any other Government for showing favour to the highly protected motorcar industry against the wholly unprotected and unsubsidised fishing industry? Will my right hon. and learned Friend look into this matter again because, while the Norwegians are good friends of ours and we wish them well, it seems wholly wrong that this kind of system should be allowed to continue?

Mr. Walker-Smith

I am certainly prepared to look again at anything brought to my attention by my hon. Friend, but I would remind him that to place cars on open general licence might lead to a substantial increase of imports of foreign cars from countries uninterested in barter deals and thereby prejudice the balance of payments position without helping the export of fish.

Mr. Hector Hughes

Does not the Minister realise that this system of licensing has become very unsatisfactory and that in the fishing industry there is particular need for a relaxation of it? Is he aware that the fishing industry needs to acquire lorries, especially refrigerated lorries, for transporting fish from the ports to the markets? Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman look into this licensing system from that point of view and relax it?

Mr. Walker-Smith

The hon. and learned Member raises very interesting points, but what I am asked to do in this Question is to put motor-cars on open general licence.

Mr. G. R. Howard

Would my right hon. and learned Friend consider that this. in conjunction with the import of canned salmon and all that that implies, is causing hardship to the fishing industry, for example, in such cases as sild, because it means that customers are being flooded with imports from abroad to the detriment of our own canning industry in this country?

Mr. Walker-Smith

If my hon. Friend has any particular point of hardship which he wishes to bring to my notice, I will certainly study it with care and sympathy.