§ Mr. Clemitsonasked the Secretary of State for Trade what proportion of United Kingdom imports basic materials constituted in volume and value, respectively, in each of the past five years;
IMPORTS OF BASIC MATERIALS (SITC SECTIONS 2 AND 4) AS A PROPORTION OF THE VALUE OF TOTAL IMPORT 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 United Kingdom … 11.9 12.4 11.2 9.2 10.3 Denmark … 7.3 7.1 7.2 5.9 5.9 Belgium/Luxembourg … 9.9 10.3 10.8 8.9 8.9* France … 9.9 10.5 10.3 8.4 8.2 Germany, Federal Republic of … 11.2 11.9 12.4 10.6 10.0 Irish Republic … 5.8 7.3 7.3 4.7 5.3 Italy … 14.9 16.3 15.3 13.1 13.6† Netherlands … 8.8 9.1 93 7.8 7.5* * January to November. † January to September. Source:
1972–75, OECD Foreign Trade Statistics Series B.
1976, OECD Foreign Trade Statistics Series A, National publications and Eurostat External Trade.
424WOther points made in the report are being carefully studied and, in particular, the further research and development work within the responsibility of my Department is being put in hand. Finally, I should like to express again my sympathy for the next of kin and relations of all those who lost their lives in this tragic casualty.