Export Trade (Hansard, 17 May 1962)

§ 5. Mr. Ellis Smith
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the need to introduce a greater sense of urgency in industry to meet the growing menace to United Kingdom trade from countries with far lower standards than Great Britain; and what plans have been made by Her Majesty's Government in respect of this aspect of the export problem in order to bring about an increase in British export trade.

§ Sir K. Joseph
British industry is well aware of competition from many sources in its overseas markets. The Government, through their policies and the services they provide, do all they can to help exporters.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
In regard to the special problems raised in the Question, will the hon. Gentleman undertake to ask the Minister of Labour to provide the Board of Trade with a number of international trade union reports in which these problems have been raised so that the Board of Trade can consider the matter in the correct perspective?

§ Sir K. Joseph
Yes, but the hon. Gentleman must face it that our biggest competition in world markets today comes from the United States and Germany, which have standards equal to our own. We must all want the poorer countries 1509 to get richer, and as they industralise themselves they will offer good opportunities to some of our industries while competing with others.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
Might I point out to the hon. Gentleman that no one agrees with fair competition more than I do, but after we have built up our standards as a result of centuries of great struggle, many of us are concerned about this menace to them?

§ Sir K. Joseph
But by that argument the Americans would have to forbid all exports from us because their standards are higher than ours.

§ Mr. S. Silverman
Does the hon. Gentleman realise that on the basis of his argument there would be no future at all for the cotton industry of, for instance, Lancashire, and that in many parts of Lancashire, including my constituency, unemployment is now as high as 6–7 per cent., and that the Local Unemployment Act does not apply in that case? Are the Government doing nothing about it? Do they prefer to help the Americans and the Chinese in Hong Kong?

§ Sir K. Joseph
That is another question. We must bear in mind that a lot of the competition being met by our cotton industry is coming from countries in Western Europe which have standards equal to our own.