§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Minister for Trade if he will state for each of the past 10 years the percentage growth in the volume of (a) world trade, (b) United Kingdom export markets, (c) United Kingdom total exports excluding oil, (d) United Kingdom total exports, (e) United Kingdom visible exports excluding oil, (f) United Kingdom total imports excluding oil, (g) United Kingdom total imports and (h) United Kingdom visible imports excluding oil.
§ Mr. Peter Rees[pursuant to his reply, 14 February 1983, c. 63.]: Information in respect of world trade was given to the hon. Member in the Official Report on 8 February 1983—[Vol. 36, c. 309–10.] Data in respect of United Kingdom total export markets could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The other information is as follows:
Percentage Change in the Volume of Visible Trade United Kingdom exports United Kingdom imports Total less oil Total trade Total less oil Total trade 1973 +14 +14 +14 +14 1974 +8 +7 +3 +1 1975 -4 -4 -6 -8½ 1976 +9½ +10 +7 +6 1977 +6 +7½ +5½ +2 1978 +1 +2½ +6 +4½ 1979 +1 +3½ +14 +11 1980 +2 +2 -3½ -5 1981 -3 -1 +1½ — 1982 -½ +1 +6 +5
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Minister for Trade what forms of Government assistance are available to support United Kingdom exports; and what the cost to public funds of each form of assistance is expected to be in the current financial year.
§ Mr. Peter Rees[pursuant to his reply, 14 February 1983, c. 64]: The Government's export promotion effort is under the guidance of the British Overseas Trade Board. The BOTB provides a wide range of services to exporters, details of which are set out in the Booklet "BOTB's Services", a copy of which is available in the Library. Total direct expenditure by the BOTB in the current financial year, net of receipts and excluding staff costs, is expected to total £22.8 million. The main components of this estimate are as follows:
£ Million Assistance to United Kingdom companies participating in overseas trade fairs and symposia 12.1 Assistance from the Overseas Projects Fund 4.0 Financial payments to companies under the Market Entry Guarantee Scheme 1.7 Expenditure on Outward and Inward Trade Missions 1.3 Support to companies under the Export Market Research Scheme 0.7 Other expenditure 3.0 Total 22.8 In addition to the preceding services, considerable help for British business men is provided by commercial staff 384W in British diplomatic posts overseas; the Central Office of Information provides a variety of services to assist companies achieve publicity in overseas markets, and support can be made available in certain circumstances under the aid and trade provision to enable the United Kingdom to match aid-assisted foreign credit facilities.
A wide range of credit insurance and other facilities are available from the Export Credits Guarantee Department. The insurance facilities are carried out without cost to public funds. However, a cost is involved in the separate scheme under which banks are encouraged to provide finance at fixed interest rates for certain major United Kingdom exports. The total cost of this in 1981–82 was £587 million; the cost in the current financial year depends on levels of commercial interest rates and other variable factors but is likely to be substantially less than last year.