§ 25. Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the value of United Kingdom imports from Namibia in 1973, and the nature of the materials or goods imported.
§ Mr. DeakinsPublished figures show that imports totalled £33 million ; the main items were fur skins, meat, fish, fish oil, fish meal and lead.
§ Mr. HooleyI thank my hon. Friend for those figures. Is he aware that I was under the impression that uranium was also an import from that part of the world? Will he assure me that his list is complete? Does he agree that while Namibia is controlled by South Africa, the removal of any resources from that country by way of imports represents the plundering of the resources of the native people of that country which should not be allowed to continue until the territory is under the control of the United Nations?
§ Mr. DeakinsIn reply to the first part of the supplementary question, we do not at present import any uranium from Namibia. The list I gave was complete and correct. In reply to the second part, we import mineral resources from many parts of the world. If my hon. Friend takes that view about Namibia, he may equally take it about a large number of other areas of the developing world, where it might be said that by taking minerals from them rich countries are exploiting natural resources which should belong to the people concerned.