§ Mr. Macfarlaneasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he is satisfied with the current progress of the implementation of the Anglo-Soviet trade deal negotiated by the former Prime Minister in 1975; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will list the British companies now trading with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a direct result of the trade deal negotiated in 1975 by the then Prime Minister.
§ Mr. DellContracts to a total value of approximately £29 million have already been signed, and further substantial contracts are under discussion. A meeting of the UK-USSR Joint Commission under the chairmanship of myself and Academician V. A. Kirillin is taking place this week, during which I will be emphasising the need to bring current negotiations to a speedy and successful conclusion.
I am not prepared to list the British companies involved. It has been the practice of successive administrations not to disclose details of individual transactions entered into within the framework of trade agreements, since these are confidential to those parties having a commercial interest in the particular transaction concerned.
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