§ 12. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the development of trade between the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe after 1973.
§ Mr. NobleA detailed estimate could not usefully be made but I see no reason why our trade with Eastern Europe should not continue to expand.
§ Mrs. ShortDoes not the right hon. Gentleman agree that if we enter the E.E.C. we shall be lowering the tariff barriers in respect of 188 million people who live in the Six but raising them against a larger number, including the 350 million people living in Eastern Europe and all those in the Commonwealth, Latin America and everywhere else? Does this mean that he has written off trade with every other part of the world except the Six?
§ Mr. NobleThe hon. Lady and I share at least one thing in common, which is to try to expand trade with Eastern Europe. She may not be aware that trade with Eastern Europe is six times as great from the Common Market countries as it is from this country, and that the annual rate of growth in their trade has gone up more than half again as much as ours. In these circumstances, I fail to see why joining the Common Market will have any deleterious effect on our trade with Eastern Europe.