Buy British (Hansard, 30 March 1983)

§ Mr. Tony Marlow (Northampton, North)
I wish to raise with my hon. Friend the Minister a very important subject and to enlist his support and that of the Government. We must encourage people in this country, when they go shopping and buy their consumer goods, to think British. I do not suggest for one moment that people should buy goods just because they are British, but I do suggest that before people make their purchases they should look at what is on offer, and if British goods are as good as and cost the same as foreign goods, they should think before they buy and hopefully, they will make the decision to buy British.

§ Mr. Clinton Davis (Hackney, Central)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

§ Mr. Marlow
I shall not give way, because there is not enough time. The hon. Gentleman has taken up enough parliamentary time already.

§ Mr. Davis
On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The Minister sat down peremptorily following the previous debate, not having answered any of the points that were put to him.

§ Mr. John Prescott (Kingston upon Hull, East)
I thought that the hon. Gentleman was giving way.

§ Mr. Davis
Should not the Minister have spent rather more time in dealing with a proper and serious debate and not displayed such a lack of courtesy?

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Ernest Armstrong)
The hon. Gentleman knows that that is not a matter for the Chair.

§ Mr. Marlow
For some time many people in this country thought that it was clever and sophisticated to buy foreign goods. A radical, chic feeling had got around that foreign goods were somehow better than British goods. But during the past few years there has been almost a second industrial revolution in Britain, and although it may have been true that some British goods were not as good as foreign goods, and some British quality was not up to the standard of foreign competition, much has happened recently to reassure the British public. The latest cars produced by British Leyland—the Metro and the Maestro—are way above the quality and standard that we have come to expect from British Leyland, and well above the quality and standard of foreign competition. So the old idea that there was something clever and fancy about foreign goods is no longer the case. British is now best.
We all know the sad story of the housewife who comes back from her weekly shopping trip, parks her Spanish-assembled Fiesta in the drive and staggers in under the load of her shopping basket. It contains French apples, Dutch cheese, Irish butter and far eastern clothing. She puts it down beside her Italian washing machine, turns on her Japanese television set, wrings her hands in anguish at the sight of her unemployed son, and puts her head in her hands in despair at the thought of her husband being threatened with redundancy. All that she must do is to think. Why does she spend all this money on foreign manufactures and food when she could buy better stuff that is made in Britain?
All that the British consumer needs to do each week throughout the year is to spend 4 per cent. more on British 443 manufactures and consumer goods. By doing that we would increase the number of jobs in the United Kingdom by 350,000, which would have direct and indirect effects. It would reduce the burden of unemployment pay, increase the amount of earnings brought home by people, on which they would pay tax, and our good friend the Chancellor could allow us to keep £2.5 billion more of our money. By spending that money in Britain we would benefit our balance of payments to the extent of £900 million a year.
It is a fact that 82 per cent. of purchases are decided by the woman. I say this to my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary knowing what an attractive and glamorous man he is, because I am sure that he in particular will be able to persuade the women in this country to think British before they shop.
About 51 per cent. of toys and games for our children are imported. Why? What is the matter with British toys and games? About 45 per cent. of dry irons bought by the British housewife are imported. I understand that for a long time they came from eastern Europe, and there were unfair trading factors that should be taken into account. There were difficulties because goods from eastern Europe passed through West Germany, and as we are in the Common Market that caused difficulties. I ask my hon. Friend to address himself to those difficulties. About 71 per cent. of typewriters are imported and 55 per cent of footwear is imported. Again, there has been unfair competition. I know that my hon. Friend and the Government are tackling these problems as best they can, but we still have some way to go.
Some British companies have been helpful. Marks and Spencer has wherever possible worked the policy of buying from British manufacturers. In many lines, 80 per cent. and sometimes 90 per cent. of its goods are manufactured in the United Kingdom. Where it finds some difficulty in supplying goods that the consumer requires from United Kingdom manufacturers, it may initially purchase the goods overseas, but having done so it goes to the British manufacturer with the item in question and says "Look, can you make this?" If the British manufacturer can approach the price of the foreign competition, Marks and Spencer will do all that it can to get British goods into its stores rather than foreign goods, because it sees the virtues of the policies that I am putting forward.
I have already spoken about British Leyland. There were vast problems—both of industrial relations and of products. The problems of products have been overcome. The problems of industrial relations, despite the hiccups that we are having, are surely a thing of the past.
I should like my hon. Friend, with his right hon. Friends in the Government, to help in several particular aspects. First, I should like him to spread the message in the powerful way that he can, and the powerful way in which the Government have spread the message, to think British before buying. Second, I should like my hon. Friend to persuade his right hon. Friends to ensure that, wherever possible, when it comes to public purchasing policy by nationalised industries and Government Departments, we should persuade these bodies to think, and wherever possible to buy, British. I know that much is done at the moment, but the further we can move in this direction, where the quality and the price are as good, the more good we shall do for our own country. I know that 444 there are difficulties with EC regulations and GATT, but if we adopt the same processes as those adopted by the French we shall do ourselves a world of good.
Third, I think that we shall have to look carefully at our industrial policies, and I should like my hon. Friend to take this up with his right hon. Friends, when we are seeking to attract foreign investment into the United Kingdom. We must be very careful that we do not attract overseas competition to our manufacturers when we are doing a good job in a stable or shrinking market. Where we can supply our own market with our own manufactures, we do not want to be over-solicitous in bringing in foreign manufacturers. At the very least, we should have some sort of clearing house, so that before we give grants to any foreign manufacturer wanting to set up in this country we have a pretty clear picture of the industrial situation in that aspect of manufacturing, of where our producers are standing and of what they can do to improve their position. We should consider all that before we seduce somebody to set a plant in the United Kingdom.
Another aspect that I think is important is origin marking. I have said that so much footwear, so many dry irons and so many consumer durables come from foreign countries. There are many people, and I know many of my constituents, who would like to buy British goods. However, even with the changes introduced last year on origin marking, they sometimes find it difficult to know whether the goods were produced here or elsewhere. I know that the Minister's hon. Friend is looking at this problem, and I am sure that he will come forward with some positive proposals.
Another area of concern—I believe that the Government have a Green Paper in hand, and the sooner we see it the better—is the importation of counterfeit, substandard or dangerous goods. United Kingdom manufacturers are subject to all the regulations of the United Kingdom, as are factories operating in the United Kingdom. Our labour force is properly paid, properly supervised and works in a safe and secure environment. We do not know whether that happens overseas, nor do we know whether the overseas products are safe and secure. We must introduce a system to ensure that we do not have unfair and, more importantly, unsafe competition from overseas manufacturers.
I have made some important points, and I know that my hon. Friend is sympathetic. I conclude with one message: "Forget what you thought in the past. We need our own people to buy our own goods. We need the Government to help our people to identify our own goods. British goods may have been a music hall joke in the past, but they are not now. They are good and better. Our factories are more effective and efficient than they have been for many a year. Go out, do your shopping, look and think before you buy, and if you possibly can, buy British."

§ The Under-Secretary of State for Trade (Mr. Iain Sproat)
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on his fast thinking and fast footwork in seizing the opportunity of the slacker-than-usual business in the House to bring this extremely important matter before us, even at this comparatively late hour. I also congratulate him on his splendidly patriotic speech. I hope that everyone, before purchasing any goods, will indeed think British and remember my hon. Friend's tale about those who never think British and are 445 surprised and appalled when they see the consequences of their actions multiplied many hundreds and thousands of times coming home to members of their families. I am glad that my hon. Friend took this opportunity to put forward his points in the way he did.
It is often asked, "Will not the Government give a stronger lead and perhaps mount their own campaign to persuade people to buy British wherever possible?" That was one of the implications of my hon. Friend's remarks. I confirm that it makes very good sense—the best sense—to buy British when British is best. I am glad that that is increasingly the case. As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, recently said: Only the best is good enough for Britain's shoppers". Wherever I, my hon. Friend the Minister for Consumer Affairs or my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State go, we encourage people to buy British.
My hon. Friend raised the important question of origin marking. The present regulations cover a wide range of goods and were introduced only last year. However, my hon. Friend the Minister for Consumer Affairs is at present reviewing these regulations with a view to extending their scope, and I know that he will take into account the strong views that my hon. Friend has expressed.
446 My hon. Friend also mentioned Marks and Spencer, which stocks more than 90 per cent. British goods. When mentioning that splendid example, people often ask, "Will the Government take measures to require other retailers to sell more British products?" We all wish that they would, but the Government will not require other retailers to act in this way because we firmly believe in an open market, and it would be wrong to dictate to the retailers. They must be left to decide what goods they stock.
I have already said that the Prime Minister rightly exhorts us all to buy British. It may well be asked "What are the Government doing to get the public sector to buy more British goods?" It is clear that the vast majority of public sector purchases are already met from 'United Kingdom sources as a result of the value for money they offer. For example, in 1981, Government Departments purchased 96 per cent. of the goods and services they required from British firms—
The Question having been proposed at Ten o'clock, and the debate having continued for half an hour, MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.
Adjourned at half-past Ten o'clock.