HC Deb 10 December 1959 vol 615 cc728-30
23. Sir L. Plummer

asked the President of the Board of Trade what assistance is now being given to enable British firms to secure contracts in Czechoslovakia.

Mr. Erroll

All the normal services of the Department are available to firms who export to Czechoslovakia.

Sir L. Plummer

Does the Minister appreciate that the normal services of the Department are inadequate to meet the situation? The West Germans are exporting to Czechoslovakia goods worth five times as much as the total British exports. Is it not time his Department considered what extra steps should be taken to meet this quite fierce German competition in a market in which we should be doing better?

Mr. Erroll

The volume of our exports to Czechoslovakia is limited by the quotas that we are able to secure from the Czechs under the trade arrangements. We want to see this trade expand and hope that in the coming discussions we shall be able to secure bigger quotas.

37. Dr. Stross

asked the President of the Board of Trade the principal exports to Czechoslovakia; and the total value of all exports in the last 12-month period for which figures are available.

Mr. Erroll

United Kingdom exports to Czechoslovakia consist principally of machinery, non-ferrous metals, chemicals, wool and textiles. In the twelve months ending October, 1959, the value of our exports to Czechoslovakia totalled £4.9 million.

Dr. Stross

Did not this figure of £4.9 million show an increase on the year before of roughly 20 per cent., which is very welcome, but is not it a very insignificant sum compared with the exports from Western Germany which were mentioned in an earlier supplementary question? Is not it absurd that we cannot do more trade than we are doing today?

Mr. Erroll

We very much hope that the Czechs will read what the hon. Gentleman has said. We should like to expand our exports to Czechoslovakia if they will give us the quotas to enable us to do so.

40. Dr. Stross

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking to increase trade between Great Britain and Czechoslovakia; and what increase in exports to Czechoslovakia he expects will be achieved in the next year.

Mr. Erroll

The part which the Government can play in promoting any increase of trade with Czechoslovakia is primarily in the negotiation of quotas for our exports. As I said in reply to Questions by other hon. Members, I hope that we shall shortly be able to begin talks with the Czech authorities about the future of our trade arrangement with them. I cannot make any estimate of the increase in trade which will be achieved next year. This will depend partly on the outcome of these talks.

Dr. Stross

In view of the fact that those countries which have planned economies tend to prepare for all their needs at about this time of the year, will the Minister bear in mind that the talks should be resumed immediately if possible and that, with reference to the question of quotas, he should remember that the Czechs make no secret of the fact that they prefer to do more trade with us than with Western Germany?

Mr. Erroll

We have also to remember that they have defaulted on certain of their bonded debts.

Dr. Stross

As negotiations are under discussion and as, in relation to the £9 million originally borrowed, they have paid back £18 million already, will the hon. Gentleman bear what I have said in mind?