HC Deb 14 March 1967 vol 743 c54W
102. Mr. John Smith

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has sought and obtained estimates of the temporary and permanent effects of the seamen's strike on United Kingdom exports, imports and invisible earnings.

103. Sir M. Stoddart-Scott

asked the President of the Board of Trade what he estimates to have been the temporary and permanent effects of the seamen's strike on United Kingdom exports, imports and invisible earnings.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

No reliable estimates can be made of the permanent effects. With regard to the temporary effects, it is likely that some of the exports held up by the strike were not made good in the second half of last year; but it is not possible to assess how much. The disruption to imports was on a smaller scale and the fall during the strike appears broadly to have been made good. I estimate the loss to our invisible earnings on shipping to be about £25 million during 1966.

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