§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what was the value of exports by the United Kingdom 551W of textiles for the years 1970 to the first quarter of 1978 at 1970 prices; and what was the volume of exports by the United Kingdom of textiles for this same period, with the volume for 1970 as 100;
(2) what was the value of imports of textiles, broken down as to where the merchandise came from, what kinds of merchandise were imported, and what they were made from, into the United Kingdom during the period 1970 to the
Volume index 1970 = 100 £m. at 1970 constant prices (1) Exports (fob) (2) Imports (cif) (3) Exports (fob) (4) Imports (cif) 1970 … … … 100 100 418 260 1971 … … … 106 125 444 324 1972 … … … 111 139 466 361 1973 … … … 127 169 532 440 1974 … … … 125 172 522 449 1975 … … … 105 171 439 446 1976 … … … 123 188 513 491 1977 … … … 126 197 526 514 1978 Q. 1 … … … 126 234 131 152 Note:
The index numbers for the period 1970 to 1975 are on a 1970 price basis; those for 1976 onwards are on a 1975 price basis. The constant price figures in columns (3) and (4) have been obtained by multiplying the index numbers in columns (1) and (2), respectively, by the value of trade in 1970.
Information in the above form is readily available only in respect of Division 65. Further, the provision of information on imports in the detail requested would entail disproportionate cost. Figures of the value and volume (by weight and occasionally number or square metres) of textile imports, analysed by country of consignment, are available as follows:
Years 1970 to 1974; Annual Statements of the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom;
Years 1975 to 1977; December 1975, Annual 1976 and December 1977 issues of Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom:
First Quarter 1978: March 1978 issue of Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.
Copies of these publications are available in the House of Commons Library. These published figures prior to 1978 are on the basis of SITC (Rev. 1); those from 1978 are on SITC (Rev. 2).