HC Deb 10 November 1960 vol 629 cc1200-1
16. Mr. A. Lewis

asked the President of the Board of Trade what recent action he has taken to increase British trade with East Germany.

Mr. Maudling

I have taken no special action recently, Sir.

Mr. Lewis

Is the President of the Board of Trade aware that at the moment there are millions of pounds worth of orders pending settlement which are being held up because the Government enforce a travel ban on East Germans who wish to come to this country? Are not the same East Germans being encouraged to go to West Germany to discuss and sign contracts there which would otherwise have come to this country? If there is to be a travel ban at all, ought it not to be universally applied and not merely applied to the detriment of British businessmen?

Mr. Maudling

The hon. Gentleman's fears are probably unfounded. I doubt very much whether the dangers to our trade which he suggests really exist. In so far as the question of travel documents arises, the hon. Gentleman should address a Question to my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal.

Mr. Lewis

Will the right hon. Gentleman have a word with the Lord Privy Seal, because only this week it was announced that the Pye firm has a £1 million contract pending which it cannot settle because the East Germans cannot come to this country? Is he aware of a report in the Daily Express which gives full details of an instance in which we have lost a big contract for our agricultural industry because the East Germans who could not come here went to West Germany a few days afterwards and signed a contract? Is not that holding up our business?

Mr. Maudling

The hon. Gentleman should not take entirely at face value all the newspaper reports that he reads. I have been in touch with the businessmen concerned, and I think that the hon. Member's fears are probably wrong.

Mr. Tomney

Is there anything to stop East Germans going to Czechoslovakia and then coming here?

Mr. Lewis

Yes; they cannot do that.