§ Lord Tordoffasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will explain the apparent discrepancy between the information given by Lord Trefgame on 8th March: "I can confirm that there will be no time limit on the usage of these stamps" (col. 1259), and that given by Viscount Ullswater on 23rd March: "These stamps are obviously of a limited duration and a special colour with a special indicator on them" (col. 512), and whether they will either confirm or deny that these stamps can be used indefinitely for first and second class post as appropriate.
§ Lord StrathclydeI understand that, as said on 8th March, there is no time limit on customers using non-value indicator stamps. In referring on 23rd March to their limited duration, my noble friend Lord Ullswater has in mind that the Post Office only issued them to post offices and shops for resale until
102WA
UNITED KINGDOM VISIBLE TRADE WITH THE COMMONWEALTH £ million: current prices Year Canada Australia New Zealand Other* Exports Imports Exports Imports Exports Imports Exports Imports 1970 290 688 346 264 129 203 883 960 1971 350 642 365 279 146 228 1,090 974 1972 380 608 319 284 147 252 997 1,143 1973 414 741 406 343 167 276 1,123 1,371 1974 495 990 607 313 259 243 1,436 1,820 1975 544 864 639 290 257 322 1,918 1,918 1976 630 1,169 701 413 256 331 2,424 2,342 1977 702 1,217 763 387 290 384 3,149 2,684 1978 737 1,134 854 370 268 434 3,721 2,634 1979 767 1,272 841 490 312 416 3,431 2,892 1980 752 1,412 816 499 251 409 4,482 3,310 1981 845 1,509 864 395 235 427 4,861 2,812 1982 852 1,436 1,041 493 322 539 4,928 3,282 1983 974 1,523 941 564 286 486 4,647 3,886 1984 1,184 1,618 1,189 640 368 483 5,238 4,872 1985 1,694 1,653 1,373 741 397 533 5,585 4,903 1986 1,698 1,470 1,228 643 343 456 5,110 4,837 1987 1,938 1,569 1,224 763 378 487 5,421 4,729 1988 2,038 2,042 1,378 742 300 443 5,484 5,417 1989 2,166 2,174 1,711 865 399 437 6,390 6,389 * All other Commonwealth countries including Pakistan Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom January although some of these still have stocks and are continuing to sell them.