HC Deb 06 March 1972 vol 832 cc231-2W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he is aware that during the period from July, 1970, to December, 1971, Great Britain imported at a cost of £29,628,000, 363,967,000 tons of steel from the United States of America; and to what extent he estimates that under the present rules and regulations of the European Economic Community on Great Britain's entry this position will change so far as imports from the United States of America are concerned;

(2) whether he is aware that during the period from July, 1970, to December, 1971, Great Britain imported at a cost of £22,754,000, 261,716,000 tons of steel from Japan; and to what extent under the present rules and regulations of the European Economic Community on Great Britain's entry he estimates that this position will change so far as imports from Japan are concerned;

(3) whether he is aware that during the period from July, 1970, to December, 1971, Great Britain imported, at a cost of £15,756,000, 390,477,000 tons of steel from Spain; and to what extent under the present rules and regulations of the European Economic Community on Great Britain's entry he estimates that this position will change so far as imports from Spain are concerned;

(4) whether he is aware that during the period from July, 1970, to December, 1971, Great Britain imfported, at a cost of £40,843,000, 259,753,000 tons of steel from Sweden; and to what extent under the present rules and regulations of the European Economic Community on Great Britain's entry he estimates that this position will change so far as steel imports from Sweden are concerned;

(5) whether he is aware that during the period from July, 1970, to December, 1971, Great Britain imported, at a cost of £11,021,000, 101,919,000 tons of steel from Austria; and to what extent under the present rules and regulations of the European Economic Community on Great Britain's entry he estimates that this position will change so far as steel imports from Austria are concerned.

Mr. Ridley

Yes. Entry into the Economic Communities is unlikely to have a significant effect on the United Kingdom's pattern of trade with these countries in iron and steel products. The hon. Member has magnified the tonnages of these imports a thousand times.