§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Trade if, pursuant to his reply of 20 January on trade
United Kingdom Trade in Manufactures* less Precious Stones† and Metals‡ 1. Exports OTS Basis £ million Year Belgium/Luxembourg Denmark F.R. of Germany France Irish Republic Italy Netherlands Greece **European Community 1971 187 154 365 297 265 174 302 57 1,801 1972 217 162 401 377 295 189 332 52 2,025 1973 294 214 525 478 406 250 417 67 2,651 1974†† 452 254 661 665 503 347 669 73 3,624 1975 520 293 892 851 558 402 739 86 4,343 1976 757 422 1,252 1,227 774 558 1,005 110 6,107 1977 966 490 1,657 1,462 1,037 698 1,384 176 7,871 1978 1,120 471 1,995 1,688 1,342 784 1,418 168 8,981 1979 1,268 501 2,463 2,098 1,650 1,030 1,724 219 10,955 1980 1,295 481 2,826 2,415 1,628 1,310 1,835 172 11,963
2. Imports OTS Basis £ million Year Belgium/Luxembourg Denmark F.R. of Germany France Irish Republic Italy Netherlands Greece **European Community 1971 130 91 555 267 135 190 218 2 1,587 1972 172 117 715 391 158 249 275 3 2,079 1973 253 157 1,102 588 213 356 398 5 3,073 1974†† 361 180 1,414 775 291 478 647 10 4,155 1975 433 182 1,526 986 321 576 654 14 4,704 1976 694 221 2,195 1,354 472 752 895 23 6,605 1977 881 256 2,875 1,756 614 1,100 1,070 31 8,583 1978 1,058 311 3,719 2,158 681 1,427 1,231 44 10,632 1979 1,332 374 4,837 2,742 832 1,820 1,595 53 13,587 1980 1,315 378 4,447 2,575 954 1,677 1,583 57 12,986 404W
3. Crude Balance OTS Basis £ million Year Belgium/Luxembourg Denmark F.R. of Germany France Irish Republic Italy Netherlands Greece **European Community 1971 +57 +63 -190 +130 -16 +84 +55 +214 1972 +45 +45 -314 -14 +137 -59 +56 +49 -54 1973 +41 +58 -577 -109 +192 -107 +19 +62 -422 figures, he will initiate a departmental inquiry to establish the reasons why the United Kingdom had a deficit in trade in manufactures with the EEC of £1,884 million in 1980 by comparison with the surplus of £5,556 million in its trade with the rest of the world.
§ Mr. Parkinson[pursuant to his reply, 26 January 1981, c. 275]: An explanation for the difference between the United Kingdom balance of trade in manufactures with the rest of the European Community and with the rest of the world was given in my reply to my hon. Friend's related question answered on 21 January, [Vol. 997, c. 158.] The best method of reducing the deficit with our Community partners is to sell more to them; and it was in order to improve the co-ordination of my Department's export promotion activities in respect of Europe that the Exports to Europe Branch was formed last year.
§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the exports, imports and balance of trade in manufactures, excluding precious stones and metals, between the United Kingdom and each European Economic Community country and with the European Economic Community overall, for each of the last 10 years, treating Denmark and the Republic of Ireland as if they were member States throughout that period.
§ Mr. Parkinson[pursuant to his reply, 26 January 1981, c. 275]: The available information, which is given in the tables below, relates to the European Community as now constituted. Thus it includes Denmark, the Irish Republic and also Greece consistently throughout, as is our normal practice.
405W
Year Belgium/Luxembourg Denmark F.R. of Germany France Irish Republic Italy Netherlands Greece **European Community 1974†† +91 +74 -752 -110 +213 -131 +21 +639 -531 1975 +77 +111 -634 -135 +237 -174 +85 +72 -361 1976 +63 +201 -943 -127 +302 -194 +110 +87 -498 1977 +85 +234 -1,218 -294 +423 -402 +314 +145 -712 1978 +62 +160 -1,724 -470 +661 -643 +187 +124 -1,651 1979 -64 +127 -2,374 -644 +818 -790 +129 +166 -2,632 1980 -20 +102 -1,620 -159 +674 -368 +252 +116 -1,024 * SITC sections 5 to 8. † Taken as SITC division 66 (Non-metallic mineral manufactures n.e.s.) as full details of trade in precious stones by country are not available. In value terms, precious stones now account for about 70 per cent. of the United Kingdom's trade With the European Community (excluding Greece) under SITC 66. ‡ Taken as SITC divisions 67 and 68 (Iron and steel and non-ferrous metals) ** Sum of countries shown. †† Figures up to 1974 are on an SITC Rev. 1 basis and subsequently on Rev. 2. The resulting discontinuity is, however, very small.