§ 24. Mr. Rankinasked the President of the Board of Trade why the Exports Credits Guarantee Department rejected the East German Government's order for steel rolling mills and certain other steel-making equipment.
§ Mr. MaudlingI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. A. Lewis) on 21st March.
§ Mr. RankinI am terribly sorry, but I have not seen that reply. May I ask the right hon. Gentleman to repeat it for my benefit and for the benefit of the House? Will he do so?
§ Mr. MaudlingThe facts are that—
—discussions on this project between the East German authorities and a United Kingdom firm are continuing.As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State said, I would not——wish to comment further on business which is still under negotiation."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 21st March, 1961; Vol. 637, c. 33.]
§ Mr. RankinI am glad to know that the reports which were so widely spread a few days ago—I think last week—are not wholly accurate. Can I deduce from the right hon. Gentleman's reply that he is now taking a more sensible attitude towards trade with East Germany and that he has found a "Stout Cortez" in his ranks and has discovered and given existence to a country which the Government have so far failed to recognise?
§ Mr. MaudlingHaving quite rightly stated that certain newspaper reports were inaccurate, the hon. Gentleman now bases his supplementary question on the supposition that they were accurate.