§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps his Department is taking to maintain trading contacts with our traditional non-EEC markets; and if he will initiate a study of the potential in these and other non-EEC markets in
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UNITED KINGDOM DIRECT INVESTMENT OVERSEAS* £ million 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 Belgium and Luxembourg … 24.9 22.5 13.3 57.7 30.8 Denmark … 1.1 0.8 1.7 3.8 8.7 France … 8.5 18.0 26.5 34.9 60.4 Irish Republic … 2.4 20.2 13.7 20.7 10.4 Italy … 2.6 8.9 8.1 13.9 24.4 Netherlands … 14.6 14.0 9.8 52.9 42.7 Western Germany … 22.2 41.0 20.1 103.1 64.1 Total … 76.3 125.4 93.2 287.0 241.5 * Excluding oil. the event of the British people rejecting continued membership of the Common Market.
§ Mr. DeakinsThe study of the potential for United Kingdom exports in the markets of the world as a whole is an essential and continuing task of my Department. The Government maintain full-time commercial staff at some 200 embassies, high commissions and consulates in over 100 countries. These officers provide British industry with a continuous flow of information about specific trading opportunities, general market conditions and the needs and requirements of potential buyers in virtually every part of the world. The results flow to exporters through the British Overseas Trade Board's Export Intelligence Service.