HC Deb 07 February 1972 vol 830 cc240-1W
50. Mr. Leslie Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will now cease the use of his Department's grants to the machine tool industry for the purchase of imported machine tools.

Mr. Ridley

No. The only grants currently made to the machine tool industry are investment grants, and the investment grant scheme is being brought to an end. It would be contrary to our international obligations to discriminate against imported tools.

89. Mr. Leslie Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to introduce a grants system designed to shorten the replacement cycle for machine tools.

Mr. Ridley

The Government have introduced a massive series of measures designed to stimulate the economy and encourage investment and orders for machine tools should pick up as the economy expands at a higher rate.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of Stale for Trade and Industry whether he will state, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the total amount of machine tools imported into Great Britain; at what costs; what grants the Government have made to the machine tool industry; from which countries have these tools been imported; and to what exent, on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community this policy will be permitted under existing rules and regulations of the Community so far as imports from countries outside of the Six in preference to those within will be permitted.

Mr. Ridley

Information on the amount, value and country of consignment for origin of imported machine tools is published in Table III of the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom machine tool imports for the year 1971 totalled 589,241 cwt. valued at £48.9 million with exports amounting to £97.3 million.

The only grants currently made to the machine tool industry and to manufacturing industry generally are investment grants, which are being phased out.

Our tariffs will by 1978 be aligned with the Common External Tariff of the E.E.C. for imports from outside the E.E.C. and abolished for those from within.