HC Deb 29 April 1975 vol 891 cc110-2W
Mrs. Winifred Ewing

asked the Secretary of State of Trade what quantities of waste paper have been imported in the last two years from (a) the USA, (b) Belgium, (c) Luxembourg, (d) the Netherlands, and (e) the USSR; and whether he has any proposals to reduce the quantity in future.

Mr. Shore

Following is the information requested in the first part of the Question:

Metric tons
1973 1974
(a) USA 0 40,760
(b) Belgium 2,786 26,143
(c) Luxembourg 0 26,143
(d) Netherlands 8,574 13,586
(e) USSR 2,213 11,629

The answer to the second part is "No". This increase in imports was due largely to temprorary factors which no longer operate. The level of imports,

UNITED KINGDOM NET DIRECT INVESTMENT* IN THE EEC†
£million
1971 1972 1973
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 0.2 0.7 1.3
Mining and quarrying -0.1 0.4
Mechanical engineering and. Instrument engineering 9.2‡ 23.8 17.8
Electrical engineering 9.2‡ 6.7 16.3
Shipbuilding and vehicles (excluding motors) 14.1‡ -0.5 0.3
Motor vehicle manufacture 14.1‡ 8.3 12.6
Food, drink and tobacco 148.1‡ 33.9 103.6
Chemical and allied industries 148.1‡ 16.4 82.8
Metal manufacture 148.1‡ 0.3 -4.8
Textiles, leather, clothing and footwear 148.1‡ 3.8 7.0
Paper, printing and publishing 148.1‡ 3.1 9.0
Rubber 148.1‡ -0.2 -2.5
Other manufacture 148.1‡ 12.4 29.9
Construction 0.3 4.4 2.6
Transport and communications other than shipping 1.9 7.3 6.6
Shipping 1.6 0.1 0.7
Distributive trades 39.8 75.1 82.1
Other financial institutions -2.9 0.4 5.2
Property owning and managing 50.2‡ -7.8 -7.3
Other activities 50.2‡ 34.9 155.3
Total 262.5§ 223.3§ 519.3§
* Excluding oil.
† The original six member States in 1971 and 1972; the other eight member States in 1973.
‡ Figures for industries bracketed together were not compiled separately for 1971.
§ Component's do not necessarily add to totals because each figure has been rounded independently
—Nil or less than £50,000.

which was in any case only marginal, has now declined significantly.