HC Deb 12 February 1969 vol 777 cc1296-7
13. Mr. Derek Page

asked the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the increased opportunities for British exporters in the light of the effect of the recent increase in world sugar prices on the purchasing power of sugar producing countries.

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody

It would be difficult to make a separate estimate for this one factor among the many which influence the level of world trade.

Mr. Page

Does not the fact that Britain has signed the new agreement, whereas the Common Market countries have not, give us a moral right to expect a large slice of the extra trade which will accrue from this agreement? Will my hon. Friend do everything she can to draw the attention of British exporters to the fact that these sales will not fall into their lap and that they will have to go out and sell in places like Jamaica and Cuba?

Mrs. Dunwoody

I do not accept that we have a moral right to expect anybody to trade with us. It is about time British industry learned that it has got to sell all over the world.