§ Mr. Croninasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will indicate the extent to which British exports have increased by volume and by value during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.
§ Mr. MeacherI will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Croninasked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps he is taking to induce British exporters to increase the volume of their exports rather than the profit on them, having regard to the diminished value of the £ sterling.
§ Mr. DellWhilst exporters' decisions on how much and at what price to export goods and services must be based on their commercial assessment, I use both public speeches and other means of public communication to draw attention to the commercial benefits which can flow from increasing market share overseas by a keen pricing policy when capacity is available and where a higher volume of production may provide a means of reducing unit costs. If, on the other hand, demand is strong and supply is limited it may be both in the national and an individual firm's interest to price at what the market will bear.