§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which sectors of United Kingdom manufacturing industry there has been an overseas trade surplus in each of the past six years.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkIn each of the following groups of the standard industrial classification (1980) there has been an overseas trade surplus in each of the years 1979–1984:
Group
230W
222 Steel tubes 233 Salt extraction and refining 241 Structural clay products 244 Asbestos goods 248 Refractory and ceramic goods
251 Basic industrial chemicals 255 Paint, varnish and printing ink 256 Special industrial and agricultural chemicals 257 Pharmaceutical products 258 Soap and toilet preparations 260 Man-made fibres 311 Foundries 312 Forging, pressing and stamping 320 Industrial plant and steelwork 321 Agricultural machinery and tractors 323 Textile machinery 324 Machinery for food, chemical and process engineering industries 325 Mining, construction and mechanical handling equipment 328 Other machinery and mechanical equipment 329 Ordnance, small arms and ammunition 341 Insulated wires and cables 342 Basic electrical equipment 344 Electronic equipment, capital goods and telecommunications equipment 353 Motor vehicle parts 361 Shipbuilding and repairing 362 Railway and tramway vehicles 364 Aerospace equipment manufacturing and repairing 365 Other vehicles 371 Measuring, checking and precision instruments 372 Medical and surgical equipment and orthopaedic appliances 419 Bread, biscuits and flour confectionery 424 Spirit distilling and compounding 427 Brewing and malting 429 Tobacco 431 Woollen and worsted industry 434 Flax etc spinning and weaving 475 Printing and publishing 481 Rubber products
§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which sectors of United Kingdom manufacturing industry there has been, since 1979, a trend towards a smaller overseas trade deficit or a larger overseas trade surplus.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkTrade balances tend to be erratic from year to year and steady trends are uncommon. The following groups of the standard industrial classification (1980) have shown a firmly established, but not necessarily regular, improvement in trade balances since 1979:
SIC Group 233 Salt extraction and refining 245 Working of stone and other non-metal minerals not elsewhere specified 256 Special industrial and agricultural chemicals 257 Pharmaceutical products 424 Spirit distilling and compounding 434 Flax etc spinning and weaving 464 Wooden containers 475 Printing and publishing