§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what further steps they are prepared to take to combat the boycott of Israel by certain States.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government have on a number of occasions stated their opposition to the boycott and the willingness of our posts overseas and the Department of Trade to give all the help and advice they can to British exporters. The boycott has been the subject of a searching examination by a Select Committee of this House and the Government and their predecessor have responded as positively as they have felt able to its recommendations. No further action is contemplated, at least for the present.
Lord JANNERMy Lords, I was wondering whether to thank the noble Lord for that Answer. Is he satisfied that we are really dealing fairly with a friendly nation which is being attacked in the economic and other fields in a way which is disgraceful, particularly in view of the fact that Israel traded with us and took more by way of imports by far than her exports to us for years? Does he not think it might be an idea for him to have a word with the American authorities and the Netherlands about this? Is he aware that the Netherlands are now passing an Act to deal with the position, that they are not succumbing to this "blackmoil", and would he be good enough to see what they are doing with a view to trying to help in a similar direction?
§ Lord TREFGARNEDealing first with the Dutch position, my Lords; we are 892 aware of resolutions passed by the Dutch Parliament, which we understand the Dutch Government are considering, but there is no question of legislation in Holland yet. The matters raised there—namely, negative certificates of origin, export credit and discrimination against persons—were matters which were considered by the Select Committee to which I referred in my Answer and on which this Government and their predecessors have given their views. In regard to trade with Israel, another point raised by the noble Lord, it is true that the value of United Kingdom exports to Israel fell in 1978, but they recovered in 1979 by 11 per cent. and have almost regained their 1977 level.
Lord JANNERMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask whether he is aware that I was referring to the fact that we have been trading with Israel for very many years and that throughout that period she has been an excellent customer of ours? is it not a disgrace that we should be succumbing to the "blackmoil" to which I referred by treating a friendly nation in that way? Will he please reconsider the Netherlands position?—because they are introducing a Competition Bill to protect the country and anyone in the country from violating the moral duties of that country towards friendly nations.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I am afraid I cannot answer for what happens in the Dutch Parliament. However, I can tell the noble Lord that, so far, it is not a question of legislation but a question of resolutions, and as your Lordships will know that is a very different matter. On the question of our exports to Israel, I sought to make the point that despite the apparent handicaps that our exporters to that country are placed under, we have none the less succeeded in increasing our exports to them.
§ Lord BYERSMy Lords, how many, if any, of the recommendations of the Select Committee have the Government adopted?
§ Lord TREFGARNEThe committee made a large number of recommendations, my Lords, as the noble Lord will know. I should need notice to count up which ones we have adopted, but he will remember 893 that I announced two or three months ago that we were modifying our process of the certification of negative certificates of origin.