VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, by permission of the House I beg to ask Her Majesty's Government the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper—but out of order.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will state the number and value of tractors sold by British manufacturers to China since the embargo on these vehicles was removed.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)My Lords, I must apologise for having failed to apprehend that your Lordships were meeting to-day at 2 o'clock. The embargo on exports to China was removed from all tractors except four-wheel drive types of 100 h.p. and over in June, 1957. Between that date and the end of 1958, 1,356 tractors, valued at £779,013, were exported. Since August, 1958, no tractors other than those specially designed for military use have been embargoed. This further relaxation has not resulted in any increase in our exports of tractors.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I beg to thank the noble Earl for his encouraging Answer, which demonstrates, does it not, the value to the exporting industry of this country of relaxations in the China embargo.