HC Deb 23 October 1952 vol 505 cc131-5W
Mr. Roy Jenkins

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out in detail actual imports for the first half of 1952, in relation to the goods and areas affected by the cuts notified to importers in Notice to Importers 467.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

I give below a table showing imports into the United Kingdom during the first half of 1952 of the commodities covered by Notice to Importers No. 467 from the countries affected by it. Owing, however, to differences between the commodity classification

TOTAL IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM FROM THE COUNTRIES COVERED BY NOTICE TO IMPORTERS NO. 467.
January-June, 1952 £'000 (c.i.f.)
Quota No. Brief description Non-sterling O.E.E.C. * Other Countries Total
Schedule 1
1 Wool carpets 107 39 146
2 Cotton, etc., carpets 375 375
3 Coir matting 0 0
4 Apparel 2,777 280 3,057
5 Footwear 237 5 243
6 Cash registers 151 151
7 Typewriters 260 0 260
8 Glassware 473 1 474
9 Toys and sports goods 358 7 365
10 Airguns and Ammunition 3 1 4
11 Musical instruments 156 3 158
12 Artificial flowers 22 22
13 Stationery 207 2 210
14 Brooms, brushes, etc. 45 2 47
15 Cutlery 146 1 147
16 Imitation jewellery 533 6 539
17 Leather manufactures 117 2 118
18 Drugs n.a. n.a. n.a.
19 Furniture of wood or basketware 262 14 276
20 Domestic woodware 141 0 141
21 Fur and other skins, etc. 161 1 162
22 Fur strips, etc. 39 203 242
23 Waterproof wrappings 27 27
24 Paper and board manufactures 702 8 710
25 Transparent cellulose wrappings, etc. Included in Schedule II heading
26 Biscuits 2,246 0 2,246
27 Chocolate and sugar confectionery (including marzipan) 1,153 50 1,203
44
28 Chocolate couverture 2,906 0 2,906
29 Cocoa butter 1,155 141 1,296
30 Cocoa and chocolate powder 0 0
31 Cocoa, raw 785 6 792
32 Coconut sugar mixtures
33 Confectionery and bakery materials
34 Canned fish 220 255 475
34(a) Fish products canned n.a. n.a. n.a.
35 Fruit bottled 1,558 7 1,565
38 Fruit pulp
39 Fruit quick frozen
Canned fruit (Schedule II)
40 Grapes canned
36 Fruit juices 451 404 855

used for recording imports in the official trade statistics and that used in the Notice to Importers, these figures should be regarded as no more than reasonably close approximations to the actual imports of the commodities specified in the Notice.

The import figures include all goods of these descriptions imported from the countries concerned during the first six months, whether against the quotas or against other licences issued, for example, to fulfil obligations to foreign Governments under Trade Agreements or to permit importers to honour contracts which were in existence when the restrictions were imposed.

£'000 (c.i.f.)
Quota No. Brief description Non-sterling O.E.E.C. * Other Countries Total
Schedule I—cont.
37 Fruit preserved with added sugar 545 545
41 Honey 4 1 4
42 Jellies, table 8 8
43 Marron puree 3 3
45 Meat and meat products, other than canned 955 955
46 Meat extracts and Essences 3 3
47(a) Ham and bacon, canned 4,157 0 4,157
47(b) Other canned meats 15,248 66 15,314
48 Nuts, edible 1,109 896 2,005
49 Offals, edible 526 0 526
50 Oils, essential, natural 1,537 303 1,840
51 Specified oils n.a. n.a. n.a.
52 Chutney, etc. n.a. n.a. n.a.
53 Pulses, edible 339 76 415
54 Salad creams n.a. n.a. n.a.
55 Starch and starch products 441 12 453
56 Sugar fat mixtures 1,911 1,911
57 Tomato juice, paste or puree canned 690 690
58 Tomatoes, canned 1,278 75 1,353
59 Vegetables, bottled or canned 204 3 207
60 Vegetables preserved in brine 492 8 500
61 Vegetables, quick frozen 59 59
69 Syrups, flavoured n.a. n.a. n.a.
62 Apples, fresh 1,236 15 1,251
63 Grapes, hothouse 49 49
64 Peaches, hothouse 0 0
65 Pears, fresh 192 1 192
66 (a) Strawberries and cherries † 406 406
(b) Currants, gooseberries and plums, greengages and damsons 43 4 47
67 Other fresh fruit 127 417 544
68 Cucumbers 191 ? 191
Schedule II
Transparent cellulose wrappings 109 0 109
Food and drink preparing and processing machinery 585 0 585
Glass bottles and jars 84 0 84
Fondant 1,673 1,673
Cake, pastry and pudding mixtures 217 217
Sugar/fat/cocoa mixtures n.a. n.a. n.a.
Toffee butter n.a. n.a. n.a.
Meat meals, pre-cooked, quick frozen n.a. n.a. n.a.
Starch and starch products Included in Quota No. 55
Canned fruit Included with Quotas 35, 38 and 40
Meat and meat products, not canned Included in Quota 45
Raw Materials
Dressed leather 470 66 536
Veneers 1,869 105 1,974
Plywood 1,339 272 1,610
Pulp 34,337 21,677 56,014
Paper making materials 8,658 0 8,658
Paper and board 12,480 2,326 14,807
Softwood 11,515 5,026 16,541
* Includes Tangier which, although not covered by Notice to Importers No. 467, is not separately distinguished in the official import statistics.
† January-August, 1952, figures. These figures, which include amendments to the values originally recorded during January-June, more accurately reflect the value of imports of these fruits this season.
0 = less than half the final digit shown.
n.a. = not available.
NOTE.—Each figure is given to the nearest £'000. Therefore the addition of the component items does not always give exact totals.

Mr. Ormsby-Gore

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a statement showing the quantity and value of goods bought from overseas by his Department and other Government Departments during 1951 and the first half of 1952, as compared with 1950 and showing the value of such goods bought from within and from outside the sterling area.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

I am obtaining the desired information from the Government Departments concerned and will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as it is available.