§ Mr. Proctorasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the state of trade and the future prospects for trade with Angola.
§ Mr. ChannonUnited Kingdom exports to Angola have declined in recent years, as have those of our major 361W competitors, due to the imposition of strict import licensing in 1981. Exports from the United Kingdom to Angola were valued at £39.5 million in 1981, £25.8 million in 1982 and for January to September 1983 exports were £11.8 million, a further 30 per cent. reduction. Imports from Angola have remained steady at a rate of £6–7 million per year since 1981.
I expect future trade with Angola to be centred on the energy, mining and transport sectors as well as industrial rehabilitation, all priority areas identified by an emergency plan drawn up by the Angolan Government earlier this year. A number of major contracts are now at advanced stages of negotiation and I hope that the level of our exports to Angola in future will improve.