§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account has been taken by Her Majesty's Government, in estimating the net number of jobs at risk from the possible imposition of sanctions against South Africa, of any offsetting job gains resulting from the manufacture in the United Kingdom of goods previously imported and the investment in the United Kingdom of capital previously exported to South Africa; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alan Clark[pursuant to his reply, 4 July 1986]: The majority of United Kingdom imports from South Africa are accounted for by raw materials and agricultural products not available in the United Kingdom. Of the remainder it is not possible to determine what—if any—proportion would subsequently come to be manufactured in the United Kingdom.
There is no reason to suppose that United Kingdom capital withdrawn from South Africa would necessarily be invested in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what method of calculation has been used to arrive at a figure of 120,000 job losses in the United Kingdom if full economic sanctions were applied to South Africa.
§ Mr. Alan Clark[pursuant to his reply, 4 July 1986]: The figure of around 120,000 job equivalents involved in exports of goods and services to South Africa is a broad estimate based on the aggregate level of trade with that country together with an assumption about the relationship between output and employment.
§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if any contingency plans exist for alternative sources of supplies of strategically important minerals currently supplied by South Africa; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Butcher[pursuant to his reply, 4 July 1986]: The Government are aware that certain minerals of importance to British industry are largely imported from
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Cumulative change in total employment since 1979 Thousand 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 United Kingdom -69 -1,052 -1,481 -1,773 -1,310 -979 Rest of EC 9* +699 +370 -146 -686 -737 n/a South Africa. It remains the Government's view that industry is responsible for maintaining adequate stocks of strategic minerals for its needs.