HC Deb 10 July 1968 vol 768 cc512-3
40. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Mr. Crosland

I had a most useful exchange of views with Mr. Patolichev, the Soviet Minister of Foreign Trade, about the development of Anglo-Soviet trade, and agreed on a programme for negotiating a new trade agreement to replace the present one, which expires in the middle of next year. I was also pleased to have an opportunity to discuss with Mr. Kosygin, not only Anglo-Soviet trade relations, but also a wide range of world economic issues.

Mrs. Short

Can my right hon. Friend say whether, in his discussions, the question of purchases of Soviet oil by this country was raised? Is he aware that it was raised with us when we were in the Soviet Union recently and that it was made clear that we could purchase Soviet oil at competitive prices and that if we did so it could lead to a considerable breakthrough in purchases by the Soviet Government of goods from this country?

Mr. Crosland

The question of Soviet oil was raised, as it has been raised in bilateral discussions with Soviet Russia over many years. My hon. Friend talks about a breakthrough in the sale of British goods to the Soviet Union. If she looks at the export figures for the first few months of this year she will find that they show an almost dramatic rise on any previous similar four-months period.

Sir C. Osborne

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, when the question of oil exports was raised in Baku with the delegation, I explained that we as a sterling area country were surplus sellers and not buyers of oil and, therefore, for us to buy Soviet oil would not be in the interests of the sterling area? That was accepted. I cannot understand why the question has been raised.

Mr. Crosland

I took the view, when I learned of the visit of this delegation, that a combination of the hon. Member for Louth (Sir C. Osborne) and my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Renée Short) ensured that our diplomacy was in safe hands.