Lord DE CLIFFORDasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many models of motor vehicles sold under a British manufacturer's name are completely fabricated outside the United Kingdom and imported 336WA assembled; how many are assembled within the United Kingdom from components fabricated outside the United Kingdom; whether these vehicles are classed as imported vehicles for statistical purposes; and whether, if subsequently exported, they are classed as United Kingdom vehicle exports.
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMAccording to information published by the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), new vehicle registrations in the United Kingdom during the first five months of 1977 included 64,716 imported cars and 1,986 imported commercial vehicles bearing the name of a British manufacturer.
During the same period 15,289 cars were assembled in the United Kingdom from imported components. These cars are recorded as imports of unassembled vehicles in the import statistics and as British vehicles in the figures of new registrations published by SMMT. If subsequently exported, such vehicles are recorded as United Kingdom vehicle exports.
House adjourned at fourteen minutes past eleven o'clock.