§ Mr. Masonasked the Postmaster-General (1) what reasons there are for the fall in the value of exports from the United Kingdom of telegraph and telephone equipment and line apparatus for long distance communication from £21,889,122 in 1959 to £19,449,849 in 1960;
(2) what reasons there are for the fall in the value of exports from the United Kingdom of telegraph and telephone equipment and line apparatus for long distance communication from £3,943,672 in the first two months of 1960 to £3,255,567 in the first two months of 1961.
§ Mr. BevinsI understand that the hon. Member is quoting figures published in the Monthly Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom. It is true that exports of telegraph and telephone equipment and line apparatus for long distance communication which ran at a very high level for several years are now tending to decline. The manufacturers are greatly concerned at this trend and are doing their utmost to improve their export performance in the face of increasingly severe international competition. They are also having to face growing competition from local manufacture in many Commonwealth countries.