§ 116. Sir W. Smithersasked the President of the Board of Trade how much rubber has been exported to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, China and other Communist countries, respectively; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in continuing such exports of potential war material.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftExports to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of rubber either direct from Malaya or through the United Kingdom, amounted in the years 1949, 1950 and 1951 to 64,000, 78,000 and 56,000 tons respectively, and in the first two months of this year to 32,000 tons, a substantial part of which represented an accumulation of rubber which was licensed last year but was not shipped until the first quarter of this year.
Comparable figures for exports to the European Soviet bloc countries were 16,500, 15,000 and 20,000 tons and in the first two months of this year 2,800 tons.
The policy of Her Majesty's Government was explained in the answer which I gave on the 20th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Toxteth (Mr. Bevins).
Exports of Malayan rubber in China amounted in 1951 to just under 28,000 tons but no export licences have been issued since 10th May of last year in accordance with the action taken by Her Majesty's Government under the United Nations Resolution of 18th May, 1951, to prohibit the export of rubber to China.