§ 87. Mr. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade to state the number of applications he has received, since the end of the Korean war, for licences to export goods to China; how many of these have been granted and refused; what were the types of goods in each case; and what was the total value in sterling of the goods supplied and those refused export licences.
§ Mr. LowThis information is not readily available and could be extracted only at the cost of much time and labour which, I regret, would not be justified.
§ 88. Mr. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade on what date he received an application for an export licence from the Austin Motor Company for the purpose of sending lorries to China; on what date a decision was given on the 115W licence; what the decision was; and what was the total value of this order in sterling.
§ Mr. LowI do not feel able to disclose information affecting a particular application from a particular firm.
§ 89. Mr. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that China is receiving quantities of goods and materials from the United States, including cars, etc., whilst our manufacturers are being prevented from exporting similar goods to China; and whether he will now re-examine the whole question of exports to China so as to enable British manufacturers an opportunity of exporting their goods to this market.
§ Mr. LowThe answer to the first part of the Question is "No." As to the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 25th October by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to the right hon. Member for Battersea, North (Mr. Jay) and the right hon. Member for Huyton (Mr. H. Wilson).