§ 25. Mr. Edelmanasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the percentage of registrations of foreign-made cars in 1964 in respect of the total number of cars registered in that year; what was the comparable percentage in 1970; and what was the percentage for the first three months of 1971.
§ Mr. John DaviesForeign cars represented about 5 per cent. of registrations in 1964 and about 14 per cent. in 1970. In the first four months of 1971 they were 18 per cent. or 75,000, compared with 12 per cent. or 47,000 in the corresponding period of 1970.
§ Mr. EdelmanAre not these figures alarming? Combined with the forecast of the president of Volkswagen that the imports of foreign cars into Britain may rise before long to 50 per cent., do they not prove the absolute unwisdom of the right hon. Gentleman's original proposal to make unilateral tariff cuts? Apart from that, is it not reprehensible on his part to use the suggestion that there 22 should be tariff cuts to threaten the living standards and wages of British motor car workers?
§ Mr. DaviesI think it was the president of B.M.W. who made that statement. He carried on to say that in due course the penetration of the other markets within the Community would in all cases amount to as much as 50 per cent. and this would give us as great a potential market as, if not greater, than, the penetration which would take place at home.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergDo these figures not bear out conclusively the fact that many unofficial strikes will close the British motor car industry and that the public will buy the cars which are obtainable, that is, foreign cars, made in countries where there are no strikes?
§ Mr. DaviesThere is certainly good reason to believe that the rather exceptionally high figures in the early part of this year owed something to the strike situation at Ford.