HC Deb 22 November 1976 vol 919 cc1867-8
14. Mr. Anthony Grant

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what estimate he has made of the effect which those advocating import controls have had in accelerating imports and adversely affecting recent balance of payments trade figures.

Mr. Dell

I have made no estimate.

Mr. Grant

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Government's resistance to generalised import controls and to the lunacy advocated by some members of his party is very much to be com- mended? Does he realise, however, that a number of industrialists perhaps take the absurd nonsense talked by the Labour Party's National Executive rather more seriously than he does and have been stocking up in anticipation of some decisions in this respect? Will he confirm that it is his view that generalised import controls are no solution to our problems?

Mr. Dell

The Government's position on the matter has repeatedly been made clear. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made it clear in his Budget Statement on 6th April. That is the Government's position. There may have been forestalling. If there has, it is very difficult to be absolutely certain of its extent.

Mr. Ioan Evans

I have heard nobody talking about a siege economy or generalised import controls, but there has been a strong representation to the Government by the TUC and CBI jointly that we should have selective import controls. Will my right hon. Friend look at the electronics industry, where something needs to be done very quickly? The Government have received representations from that industry that Japanese imports have killed off certain manufacturing industries in this country and that further industries will suffer unless the Government act quickly.

Mr. Dell

My hon. Friend has a later Question on the Order Paper about precisely this point. The paper which I submitted to NEDC on 2nd October was published in a recent edition of Trade and Industry. If my hon. Friend studies it, he will find that we have many selective controls on imports. As for consumer electronics, he will no doubt have noticed that the British industry has recently been in consultation with the Japanese industry and has come to an understanding with it about imports next year which, I understand, it found satisfactory.