§ 39. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the continued rise in the level of imports he will now take steps to impose selective import controls on non-essential imports of manufactured goods and foodstuffs.
§ 60. Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the latest trade figures, whether the Government will now introduce import controls.
§ Mr. CroslandNo, Sir.
§ Mrs. ShortBut if my right hon. Friend was unwilling to consider this matter after devaluation because of the possible effect on the £, does he not now think that the £ has received such massive support that he can reconsider it? Would he not also think that it is a nonsense that the efforts of both sides of industry to gain more exports should be frittered away by this growing rise in the value of imports? Many of the goods are unnecessary. Will my right hon. Friend look at this matter again?
§ Mr. CroslandI do not agree with my hon. Friend that there is in logic a case for doing this, having devalued. I always thought that import restrictions of some sort were an alternative to devaluation, but, having devalued, I think that there is very little case for imposing on top of that further import restrictions, and I am very strongly against doing so.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonWhich do the Socialist Government think preferable in our present difficulties—selective import regulations, or a further twist of the inflationary rack?
§ Mr. CroslandDeflationary rack. The Socialist Government think that neither of them is necessary because we still firmly take the view that the devaluation strategy is working and will work.