§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Lord Privy Seal, in view of the fact that the United Kingdom had a deficit of £2,007,000,000 in trade in manufactures with the Federal Republic of Germany in 1980, if he will make representations to the Federal Republic about the effect on jobs of this adverse trade, in the same manner as representations were made to Japan.
§ Sir Ian GilmourNo. Such representations would not be appropriate. The Foreign Secretary's representations related to the concentration of Japan's considerable visible trade surplus with the United Kingdom in certain sensitive industrial sectors. The pattern of United Kingdom visible trade with the Federal Republic of Germany is different and similar comments would be unjustified. Taking into account the overall trade balance, including oil, the crude trade deficit with the Federal Republic of Germany in 1980 was £595 million. British exports to the Federal Republic of Germany have substantially expanded in recent years; the expansion of trade in both directions with the Federal Republic of Germany, which is now our largest market, is welcome to Her Majesty's Government.