§ Mr. VazTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of the United Kingdom's trade deficit relates to trade in textile products; and if he will make a statement on the extent of import penetration in this sector of the economy.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe crude deficit on trade in textiles in 1987 was £1,816.3 million compared with an overall crude deficit of £24,177.5 million. Comparable figures for 198870W show crude deficits of £1,921.4 million and £24,936.7 million. Import penetration for textiles in 1987—the latest year for which figures are available—was 48 per cent.