HC Deb 19 January 1981 vol 997 cc13-5
17. Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list figures illustrating the balance of trade of each member State of the European Community with non-European Economic Community Countries and with each other for the last five years.

Crude Trade Balances of the European Community Countries with the Community and the Rest of the World
£ Billion
United kingdom Belgium/Luxembourg Denmark France Federal Republic of Germany Greece Ireland Italy Netherlands
Crude Balance of Trade with the Community
1975 -2.3 -0.1 -0.4 -0.3 +1.2 -0.5 -0.0 -0.2 +2.5
1976 -2.1 +0.2 -1.0 -1.9 +2.4 -0.6 -0.2 -0.5 +4.1
1977 -1.9 -0.2 -1.1 -1.5 +2.5 -0.9 -0.2 -0.6 +3.4
1978 -2.4 -0.6 -0.9 -0.9 +3.1 -0.9 -0.3 +1.2 +2.7
1979 -2.9 +0.2 -1.0 -0.5 +3.0 -1.1 -0.7 -0.9 +3.9
1980 +0.1 n.a n.a n.a n.a n.a n.a n.a n.a
Mr. Parkinson

Full information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I am therefore making available certain summary statistics. As even this involves the provision of 92 separate figures, with permission I will publish them in the Official Report.

Mr. Marlow

The public are quite rightly very interested in a proper perspective of our trade with Europe. As one-fifth of our exports to Europe are in terms of oil, can my hon. Friend say to what extent they arise out of our membership of the Community and to what extent they arise purely out of factors of geology and geography? If we were to subtract this trade in oil, what would be the true position of our trade with Europe, and what would be the implications of that?

Mr. Parkinson

I am sorry to have to tell my hon. Friend that the figures that will be published in the Official Report do not include the figures that he has requested. Our exports of manufactures to the EEC have been increasing dramatically, and this year they covered 90 per cent. of our imports in manufactures, as opposed to 84 per cent. a year before. Our trade with Europe in manufactures is our fastest growing area for trade in such goods. My hon. Friend need not be quite so obsessive about oil.

Sir Anthony Meyer

Before my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) disappears under the mound of statistics that he has invoked, will my hon. Friend explain to him that our trading difficulties do not arise in any way from our membership of the EEC and would not in any be facilitated by turning the EEC into a free trade area, as a good many seem to want? On the contrary, the fault lies in ourselves and in the uncompetitiveness of British industry.

Mr. Parkinson

My hon. Friend is right in saying that withdrawal from the EEC would be a disaster for many British companies which have been reorientating their trade towards the EEC, and which would find themselves having to send in those exports over a tariff barrier which they do not have to do now. I hope that Labour Members who argue the case for withdrawal will spell out to the electorate the full details and consequences of withdrawal.

Mr. Squire

Will my hon. Friend point out that the oil companies provide employment in Britain, and that it makes no more sense to exclude oil figures than it does to exclude the figures of other industries where we are perhaps less successful?

Mr. Parkinson

I agree with my hon. Friend.

Following is the information:

United kingdom Belgium/Luxembourg Denmark France Federal Republic of Germany Greece Ireland Italy Netherlands
Crude Balance of Trade with the Community
1975 -1.9 -0.6 -0.4 -0.6 +5.9 -0.9 -0.2 -1.2 -2.2
1976 -3.3 -1.6 -0.9 -2.8 +5.4 -1.3 -0.3 -2.7 -3.7
1977 -1.8 -1.3 -0.8 -2.5 +7.3 -1.4 -0.4 -1.5 -4.4
1978 -1.2 -1.2 -0.7 -1.9 +8.1 -1.4 -0.4 -0.3 -4.2
1979 -2.7 -2.1 -0.9 -3.6 +3.4 -1.6 -0.6 -2.4 -5.6
1980 -2.2 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
n.a. not available
Sources:
UNITED KINGDOM: United Kingdom Trade with European Countries December 1979 and September 1980 and latest Press Notice
OTHERS: OECD 'Series B'; OECD 'Series C' Microfiche (for 1979)