§ Sir A. Wilsonasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department what proportion of exports to Russia during the past 12 months consist of armaments, tools and machinery, and what is the total value under each head; and whether, so far as concerns exports guaranteed by the Export Credits Department, instructions or advice have been given that such orders should not have preference over orders from British Dominions, India and the Colonies?
§ Captain WallaceThe total value of exports of the produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom consigned to the Soviet Union during the year 1936 was £3,492,459, of which arms, ammunition and military and naval stores amounted to £2,955, machine tools (metal working) and parts thereof to £324,748, and other machinery and parts thereof to £364,618. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative. The sole concern of the Export Credits Guarantee Department under its recent agreement with the Soviet Government, is to enable our manufacturers, in accepting orders from that country, to obtain payment in cash. It remains open to any manufacturer to decide whether to accept any such orders and whether or not to give them preference over orders from any other overseas market.