§ 12. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his recent official visit to the USSR.
§ The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Peter Walker)As I told my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Mr. Skeet) on 7th May, useful and con- 1004 structive discussions were held at a very high level, which I hope will lead to an improvement in our general relations and to increased opportunities for expanding trade in both directions.—[Vol. 856, c. 4–5.]
§ Mrs. ShortAs I have been getting that sort of reply from successive Minister's of Trade for the last nine years, I think that I can probably call that tedious repetition.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Is this a question?
§ Mrs. ShortYes, Mr. Speaker. Does the right hon. Gentleman think that very much more energetic methods should be used to clinch the deal instead of coming back with pious hopes? Is he not afraid that when Mr. Brezhnev goes to Washington next month he will outbid anything he himself tried to do last week?
§ Mr. WalkerI have a great deal of sympathy with what the hon. Lady says, because there has been a great deal of talk about improving trade and not a great deal of trade has resulted. Our exports to the Soviet Union are lower than they were in 1968. That is why I tried to list with Soviet Ministers a whole range of special products, and we are already dispatching leading businessmen and missions to try to clinch deals.
§ Mr. SkeetI congratulate my right Friend on his visit to the Soviet Union. Is he aware that imports have been rising substantially in the last year by 11 per cent. and that exports have been falling? Apart from the lists which he has drawn up, is he able to arrange with the Soviet Union any satisfactory system of credit and ways by which people in the Soviet Union can pay us money as a result of trading with the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. WalkerCredit terms were discussed with the Soviet Union. I do not think this is a major snag in developing policy. One problem facing British businessmen is that of obtaining information by which they can go after specific projects, and I think that as a result of my visit and the talks that have taken place the situation will improve.
§ Mr. BennCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether British membership of the Common Market makes it impossible for Anglo-Soviet trade agreements to 1005 continue and what effect this is likely to have on trade between the two countries?
§ Mr. WalkerNone at all. Three trade agreements are being negotiated by members of the Common Market with the Soviet Union. One result of our talks was that we agreed to try to enter into an arrangement for a 10-year trade agreement between the two countries.