HC Deb 08 February 1971 vol 811 cc3-5W
51. Sir M. Stoddart-Scott

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of exports from the United Kingdom to the Union of Soviet

UNITED KINGDOM TRADE WITH THE SOVIET UNION
£million
1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970
U.K. Imports c.i.f … … 119 125 123 158 196 220
U.K. Exports f.o.b … … 47 50 64 105 95 102

Details of this trade are published in Volume IV of the Annual Statement of Trade of the United Kingdom for the years 1965 to 1969 and in the December issue of Overseas Trade Statistics for the year 1970.

SOVIET UNION EXPORTS TO THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE STERLING AREA
£million f.o.b.
1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Exports to:
Commonwealth 215 225 211 273 293
Sterling Area 219 229 214 280 305
Selected Commodities:
Commonwealth
Machines and equipment 63.9 47.4 54.4 72.8 64.6
Crude oil, oil products, synthetic liquid fuel. 16.1 14.9 9.4 7.1 7.7
Ferrous metals 8.8 9.2 6.7 9.4 10.6
Non-ferrous metals 16.3 19.4 10.9 16.7 5.3
Chemicals 1.3 2.3 3.5 4.2 3.5
Timber, pulp and paper articles 45.8 43.0 36.6 43.8 42.0
Grain — — 1.1 6.0 10.5
Other 62.9 88.7 88.7 112.9 148.5
Total 215.1 224.9 211.3 272.9 292.7

Sterling Area
Machines and equipment 65.2 48.2 55.5 76.7 69.1
Crude oil, oil products, synthetic liquid fuel. 18.7 17.9 13.1 11.8 11.2
Ferrous metals 9.6 10.7 8.9 11.2 13.8
Non-ferrous metals 16.3 19.2 11.0 16.6 5.3
Chemicals 1.3 2.3 3.5 4.2 3.5
Timber, pulp and paper articles 46.5 43.7 37.0 44.6 42.5
Grain — — 1.2 6.0 10.8
Other 61.5 87.0 83.5 109.1 148.5
Total 219.1 229.0 213.7 280.2 304.7
Note: These figures have been extracted from the official trade statistics of the Soviet Union which provide some further commodity detail. The statistics do not identify trade with a number of the smaller Commonwealth and sterling area countries and the figures given above may not be wholly complete. Values have been converted from roubles at the official exchange rate. Figures for 1970 are not yet available.

53. Mr. J. H. Osborn

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the recent trade, technological and scientific exchanges with the Socialist Republics, imports from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to the United Kingdom, and exports from the Union of Soviet Republics to the Commonwealth and the sterling area, respectively, in 1970; how this compares with the five previous years; and if he will calculate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the value of each commodity and product making up these totals.

Mr. Noble

The figures show that trade between the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom has grown rapidly in recent years.

Following is the information:

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, following the visit of a Soviet delegation to this country in January; and if he will indicate the likely timing and nature of future meetings arising from this.

Mr. John Davies

I presided at the first session of the U.K./U.S.S.R. Joint Commission on Trade and Technology which met in London from 12th to 15th January, 1971. The main purpose of the Commission was to review the Inter-Governmental Technological Agreement of 1968 and the Long Term Trade Agreement of 1969, and to discuss projects of interest to the two countries.

The discussions were friendly and useful and I agreed with Mr. Kirillin and his colleagues that the second session should be held in Moscow at a date to be fixed. I am placing a copy of the Terms of Reference of the Commission and of the Communiqué issued on its conclusion in the Library of the House.