HL Deb 17 June 1982 vol 431 cc703-5

3.6 p.m.

Lord Monk Bretton

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what they are doing to improve the performance in export markets of British manufacturers.

Lord Lyell

My Lords, the Department of Trade, with the guidance of the British Overseas Trade Board, provides a wide range of facilities to help both British manufacturers and service industries improve their performance in export markets. These facilities include a network of British Overseas Trade Board Regional Offices which provide advice and access to services, including intelligence on overseas markets and business opportunities, advice on marketing abroad and assistance with visits overseas and group participations in overseas missions, trade fairs and seminars. Of course, the facilities of the Export Credits Guarantee Department are also available to assist exporters.

Lord Monk Bretton

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that concise outline. How do the Government feel that their policies compare with those of our major trade competitors?

Lord Lyell

My Lords, we are very encouraged by the success of our policies compared with those of our competitors. Of course we stress certain areas in different ways from our competitors. But, overall, the Government are very encouraged by the performance.

Lord Jacques

My Lords, would the noble Lord agree that pretty well all that he has said is not new but has been going on for years?

Lord Lyell

My Lords, it is very encouraging; if the noble Lord wishes to take some credit, then that is his pleasure.

Lord Glenkinglas

My Lords, will my noble friend also perhaps persuade the Board of Trade that, in regard to agricultural exports, we fall very far behind almost all of our European competitors?

Lord Lyell

My Lords, I know that my right honourable friends are particularly keen to improve, so far as we possibly can, our performance as regards agricultural exports. Indeed, all of us realise that our performance in agricultural exports is boosted by the tremendous health of our home agricultural industry.

Lord Taylor of Gryfe

My Lords, I welcome the statement of the Minister and his commitment to support British exports. I can vouch for—

Noble Lords

Question!

Lord Taylor of Gryfe

My Lords, would the Minister in his enthusiasm to boost British exports care to comment to the House on the outstanding order for £100 million for the Siberian gas pipeline to John Brown and Company Limited which is being frustrated because of lack of endorsement by our United States allies?

Lord Lyell

My Lords, I am afraid that perhaps I should have been aware of this particular case but I am not and I shall look into the matter and, if I may, I shall write to the noble Lord.

Lord Monk Bretton

My Lords, I should like to ask my noble friend about the proposed review of industrial standards policies and, in particular, when a report on this is expected. Again, how do we now compare with our foreign competitors in these matters? Will we shortly be in the lead in this field?—I very much hope we will be.

Lord Lyell

My Lords, perhaps I may answer very simply my noble friend's first supplementary question. We hope that the consultative document, which has been announced by my noble friend Lord Cockfield, will be issued shortly. I understand that "shortly" means within this year. On the developments in the field of international standards, on 7th June this year my noble friend announced that this consultative document would be forthcoming. Our own standards have always been very widely respected, both here and overseas. It is in an endeavour to maintain this greatly respected position that my noble friend recently announced his new policy initiatives.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, would the noble Lord agree that our commercial attaches and our agricultural attaches in our embassies overseas can play a very substantial and constructive role in making the countries where they are stationed aware of the exports that are available from this country? Is he satisfied that they are being enabled to play as full a part as possible, especially in those key countries where we might improve our export performance?

Lord Lyell

Indeed, my Lords, the Government are always aware of trying to assist both commercial and, as the noble Lord mentioned, agricultural exports from this country. We are endeavouring to do everything possible to improve this. Where there are possible plateaux in our performance, we are particularly keen to improve that performance. If the noble Lord has any specific point, I shall be pleased to hear from him, and I might write to him.

Lord Hatch of Lusby

My Lords, will the noble Lord look into the operations of the ECGD, which he mentioned in his original Answer?—because those of us who travel to any extent know that in the present economic climate of the world British manufactures are being replaced by inferior manufactures simply because many of the third world countries are so poor and so heavily in debt, due to oil price rises, that they have no option now that ECGD cover has been removed.

Lord Lyell

My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot go into any particular areas or even particular detailed cases. But if the noble Lord has a particular area or a particular detailed case that he would wish me to look into, I shall do my best to help him.

>Lord Boardman

My Lords, will my noble friend not agree that, at the end of the day, our success in exports depends upon the productivity of British industry, and that there have been some enormously successful achievements by management, unions and others over the last few months and years? Would he not also agree that it would be a tragedy if those efforts should be destroyed by action taken in the public sector, such as British Railways, which has been threatened?

Lord Lyell

My Lords, I am very grateful for the comments of my noble friend; indeed, he makes them more eloquently than I would.

Lord Reilly

My Lords, what plans do the Government have to improve still further the standard of design of the products of British industry that are intended for export?

Lord Lyell

My Lords, if there are any failings in the matters of standards or design, as I hope that I have already stressed, we are taking steps to maintain our position of the paramountcy of British design and, indeed, standards throughout the world.