§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what was the increase in United Kingdom imports of textile products from the United States of America expressed as a percentage for the first nine months of 1980 compared with the same period in 1979 and 1978;
(2) what was the rise or fall in the value of textile and clothing products imported into the United Kingdom, expressed as a percentage, in July, August and September 1980 as compared with those months in 1979; and by what percentage the volume rose or fell in the same quarter of 1980 as compared with the same period in 1979;
(3) what was the increase, in value of exports of textile products from the United Kingdom expressed as a percentage for the months of July, August and September 1980 in comparison with the same three months in 1979; and by what percentage the volume exported in the three months had risen or fallen on the figure for the three months in 1979;
(4) what was the increase in value of exports of textile products from the United Kingdom expressed as a percentage on the 1979 figure for the first nine months of 1980; and what was the percentage increase on 1979 for volume, in the same period;
(5) what was the increase in value of exports of clothing products from the United Kingdom expressed as 193W a percentage on the 1979 figure, for the first nine months of 1980; and what was the percentage increase on 1979 for volume, in the same period;
(6) what was the rise or fall in the value of textile and clothing products imported into the United Kingdom, expressed as a percentage, in the first nine months of 1980 as compared with the comparable period in 1979; and by what percentage the volume fell or rose in the first nine months of 1980 expressed as a percentage compared with the same period in 1979.
§ Mr. Tebbit[pursuant to the reply 28 November 1980]: The information is given in the table below. Volume figures have been derived on the basis of weight.
United Kingdom Overseas Trade in Textiles and Clothing, 1980 I. Percentage increase or decrease compared with the same months of 1979 By Value By Weight (a) Textiles and Clothing Imports, January-September -2½ -8 Imports, July-September -12 -20 (b) Textiles (excluding clothing) Exports, January-September +7½ -½ Exports, July-September -3 -9½ (c) Clothing (including Knitted clothing) Exports, January-September +13 +9 II. Percentage increase or decrease imports from the USA in January-September 1980 (by value) By Value By Weight Textiles (excluding clothing) Compared with January-September 1978 +85 +126 Compared with January-September 1979 +19 +26 Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics—"Clothing": SITC/R2 Division 84, excluding group 848 and item 847.11; "Textiles (excluding clothing)"; SITC/R2 Division 65, groups 266, and 267, and items 268.7 (part) and847.11.