Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Minister for Trade what sum is guaranteed by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in respect of loans (a) to the Government of Argentina and (b) to other Argentine importers.
§ Dr. VaughanIt has been the policy of successive administrations not to make public details of the make-up of Export Credits Guarantee Department commitments on individual markets.
1978 1979 1980 Jan-June Sep-Dec 1981 Jan-Feb 1982 Number (million) 29.0 26.0 27.8 27.5 6.9 Average value per lamp (£ cif) 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.09 0.10 Source: Overseas Trade Statistic of the United Kingdom, SITC (R2) Item 778.21.
NOTE:
(a) Average values per lamp do not represent actual prices or costs; they may be influenced by differences in size and type of lamp imported and by other factors.
(b) Owing to last year's Civil Service strike, figures are not yet available for July and August 1981.
Bearing in mind that light bulbs from Hungary have been the subject of anti-dumping action, I do not consider that the figures so far available justify recourse to protective measures, which would need to be consistent with our international obligations.