HC Deb 25 March 1970 vol 798 cc1429-30
38. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about his visit to Romania.

Mr. Mason

I visited Romania from 9th to 11th March at the invitation of Mr. Burtica, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Trade. I had very useful discussons with a number of senior Romanian Ministers on a variety of trade issues of mutual interest and, in particular, on the prospects for the continued expansion of British exports to Romania.

Mrs. Short

May I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the considerable increase in trade between ourselves and Romania, which I believe shows the most sophisticated increase of all Comecon countries. How much increase is likely in the current year in our trade with Romania? Would my right hon. Friend follow up this highly successful visit with other East European visits, so that we may show a similar increase in trade with those countries?

Mr. Mason

Trade is increasing between ourselves and East European countries, and my hon. Friend is right to draw attention to it. Total trade between ourselves and Romania has doubled in the past three years and our exports have trebled in that time. There is £80 million-worth of irrigation projects under discussion and £30 million-worth of aircraft projects.