§ Mr. Bottomleyasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that exports of cotton yarns and manufactured piece goods are down 40 per cent. compared with 1951: and what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to prevent the loss of our overseas markets.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftThe total value of United Kingdom exports of cotton yarns and manufactures in the first nine months of 1953 was 38 per cent. less than the corresponding figure for the first nine months of 1951. The quantity of cotton piece goods exported between those periods, however, fell by 22 per cent. and that of yarns by over 40 per cent. This reduction in our exports was primarily, though not exclusively, due to the imposition or intensification of import restrictions by countries who were compelled by balance of payment difficulties to cut down their imports. The Government will continue to take all effective steps towards securing greater opportunities of access for our goods to the particular markets abroad in which they are restricted.