HC Deb 13 December 1979 vol 975 cc734-7W
Mr. Frank R. White

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) from which countries and in what proportions imports came into the United Kingdom in 1978 in the Lancashire cotton man-made fibre, spinning textile sector, taking cotton and man-made fibres separately;

(2) what was the level of imports in each quarter of 1977, each quarter of 1978 and the three quarters of 1979 by volume and by value in the Lancashire cotton, man-made fibre, spinning textile sector, taking cotton and man-made fibres separately;

(3) to which countries and in what proportion exports went in 1978 in the Lancashire cotton, man-made fibre, spinning sector, taking cotton and man-made fibres separately;

COTTON YARN1
I.
I.1:Trade by Quarter Years
Imports Exports
Tonnes £ thousand cif Tonnes £thousand fob
Q1 1977 8,101 14,826 2,658 7,059
Q2 1977 7,828 14,730 3,179 7,677
Q3 1977 6,570 12,614 2,344 6,111
Q4 1977 6,430 12,658 2,490 6,466
Q1 1978 8,754 15,146 2,985 7,188
Q2 1978 8,997 14,589 2,786 7,395
Q3 1978 9,276 14,831 2,205 5,967
Q4 1978 6,743 11,629 2,655 7,582
Q1 1979 8,865 15,473 2,455 5,980
Q2 1979 11,050 18,740 2,983 6,943
Q3 1979 9,838 17,146 2,235 6,192
I.2:Trade in the period January-December 1978
Imports Exports
Countries Percentage distribution (by weight) Countries Percentage distribution (by weight)
Portugal 18.9 Irish Republic 16.7
Turkey 17.1 Federal Republic of Germany 14.6
Italy 11.6 Nigeria 7.9
Greece 8.5 Syria 7.4
Spain 7.1 France 6.8
Irish Republic 4.9 Sweden 6.5
Israel 4.0 German Democratic Republic 5.9
Switzerland 3.4 Denmark 5.9
South Africa 3.1 Finland 3.3
France 2.8 Norway 2.7
Columbia 2.6 Belgium-Luxembourg 2.7
Belgium-Luxembourg 2.3 Australia 2.5
Netherlands 1.7 New Zealand 1.8
Brazil 1.7 Canada 1.6
Federal Republic of Germany 1.5 Netherlands 1.5
Other countries 8.9 Other countries 12.2
YARN OF DISCONTINUOUS SYNTHETIC AND REGENERATED FIBRES2
II
II. 1:Trade by Quarter Years
Imports Exports
Tonnes £thousand cif Tonnes £thousand fob
Q1 1977 5920 11,623 5,186 10,293
Q2 1977 5,897 11,993 4,953 9,548
Q3 1977 5,239 11,234 3,372 7,167
Q4 1977 6,862 14,481 4,220 9,027
Q1 1978 6,900 14,528 4,806 9,524
Q2 1978 7,331 16,233 4,458 9,182
Q3 1978 6,638 15,156 4,018 8,665
Q4 1978 7,979 19,247 5,188 11,244
Q1 1979 6,869 16,484 5,241 10,452
Q2 1979 6,952 16,975 6,777 13,273
Q3 1979 6,636 14,858 4,669 9,912

(4) what was the level of exports in each quarter of 1977, each quarter of 1978 and the three quarters of 1979 by volume and by value in the Lancashire cotton and man-made fibre spining textile sector, taking cotton and man-made fibres separately.

Mr. Parkinson

The information is as follows:—

II.2:Trade in the period January-December 1978
Imports Exports
Countries Percentage distribution (by weight) Countries Percentage distribution (by weight)
Italy 17.8 Irish Republic 14.6
Austria 15.7 Belgium-Luxembourg 8.4
Irish Reppublic 13.5 France 7.4
France 9.4 United States of America 7.4
United States of America 7.1 Sweden 6.3
Federal Republic of Germany 6.0 Soviet Union 5.9
Portugal 4.5 Federal Republic of Germany 5.3
Mauritius 3.4 German Democratic Republic 5.2
Belgium-Luxembourg 3.3 Finland 4.8
Switerland 3.3 Denmark 4.3
South Korea 3.2 Netherland 2.9
Greece 2.9 Iran 2.9
Malaysia 1.6 Nigeria 2.5
Netherlands 1.5 Switzerland 2.4
Taiwan 1.4 Hungary 2.1
Other countries 5.5 Other countries 17.7
Source:
United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics (1) SITC (Rev 1) Sub-groups 651.3 and .4; (2) SITC (Rev 1) Items 651.64, .65, 74 and 75 and corresponding items under SITC (Rev 2).
Note:
The effects of industrial action have led to distortions in the pattern of trade recorded in the first eight months of this year, and the figures for the three quarters of 1979 must be interpreted with particular caution.