HC Deb 14 February 1990 vol 167 c244W
32. Mr. Ernie Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's balance of trade in manufactures in 1989 with(a) the USSR, (b) East Germany, (c) Poland, (d) Czechoslovakia and (e) Romania.

76. Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's balance of trade in manufactures in 1989 with(a) the USSR, (b) East Germany, (c) Poland, (d) Czechoslovakia and (e) Romania.

Mr. Redwood

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier to the question of the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms. Short).

46. Mr. Butterfill

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to encourage increased trade between the United Kingdom and eastern Europe.

85. Mr. Irvine

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department is doing to promote trade and investment by British companies in eastern Europe.

Mr. Redwood

My Department is encouraging business men to look hard at the new commercial opportunities in eastern Europe. DTI Ministers are playing their part both by receiving incoming delegations and by leading business missions themselves. At the end of last year the Minister for Trade and I led business teams to the USSR and Hungary respectively. In the course of the next two months the Secretary of State and I will be taking business men to the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania whilst the Minister for Trade will be visiting British stands at the Leipzig fair in the GDR.

My Department is also encouraging British business to take full advantage of the several United Kingdom, EC and multilateral assistance schemes becoming available to help explore the new opportunities for direct investment, joint ventures and other forms of industrial co-operation.