§ 13. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the President of the Board of Trade why British exports to South Africa increased in value by 91 per cent. in 1969, in view of the fact that those of the United States 1231 of America increased by 11 per cent., those of West Germany by 18 per cent., those of France by 33 per cent., those of Japan by 63 per cent. and those of all the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, other than Great Britain, by 21 per cent.; and what steps he proposes to take to recover for Great Britain her former share of South African imports.
§ Mr. MasonIf the hon. Member were to look at the South African statistics which give figures on a consistent basis he would find rather a different picture. They show a more favourable performance compared with other countries and that our share of the market has been maintained. I should like to see it increased, and the official services and B.N.E.C. are doing all they can to help our exporters.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneIt is good news to hear that the Minister wants to see the proportions increased, but if he studies the O.E.C.D. figures he will find that our share of the market has been declining. To what extent does he attribute this to the Government's refusal to sell submarines and other useful arms for the maintenance of internal law, and to what extent does he attribute it to the Government's refusal to allow British firms to act like their international competitors and conduct their trade with Rhodesia through South Africa?
§ Mr. MasonIf the hon. Gentleman peruses the figures closely he will see that up to 1968 our share of the market was declining. In 1968 and 1969 that decline halted. Our share of the market in both those years was 24 per cent.
As to the question of arms, we impose an embargo which does not seem to be affecting our commercial trade. We have no desire for an economic confrontation with South Africa. If the hon. Gentleman looks again at the table from which he took the figures in his Question, he will see that in 1969 we exported 702 million dollars-worth of goods to South Africa, and that the French, who supply arms to South Africa, exported 137 million dollars-worth.
§ Mr. HooleyIs my right hon. Friend aware that many of us on this side of the House regard it as wholly undesirable that this trade with South Africa should 1232 increase, that we do not wish to see this country involved in the economy of a country whose social situation has been condemned by the whole world, and that the fact that some of our commercial competitors behave in this anti-social international fashion is no justification for our doing so?
§ Mr. MasonMy hon. Friend will recognise that there are certain countries in the world with whose policies he would also disagree, and that if we stopped commercial trading with every country in the world with whose policy we disagreed it would not be long before we were bankrupt.
§ Sir G. NabarroWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that Yorkshire and Worcestershire are the two greatest cricketing counties in Britain?
§ Mr. MasonI cannot see what that has to do with trade. Our arms embargo and our views on apartheid and racialism in sport have not stopped commercial development.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the satisfactory nature of the Minister's reply to his hon. Friend, I shall raise the matter again in due course.