HC Deb 17 October 1990 vol 177 cc836-7W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of(a) military, (b) other manufactured and (c) financial services exports to and imports from Iraq in each year since 1980.

Mr. Sainsbury

Trade with Iraq in manufactured goods since 1980 is given in the table. The other information requested is not available.

United Kingdom trade with Iraq
Manufactured goods1 Year Exports £ million Imports
1980 285 5
1981 582 16
1982 809 14
1983 375 12
1984 290 25
1985 397 38
1986 420 27
1987 240 30
1988 353 37
1989 396 33

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

1 Manufactured goods are defined as Sections 5 to 8 of the Standard International Trade Classification Revision 3.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what levels of credit guarantees by the Export Credits Guarantee Department have been made available to British-based companies for trade with Iraq for each year since 1979.

Mr. Sainsbury

[holding answer 15 October 1990]: ECGD cover for exports to Iraq was available until earlier this year under both short-term and medium-term facilities. As a matter of general policy, ECGD's exposure on individual countries is not normally revealed publicly, but the amount of medium-term credit which was made available to Iraq sinces 1983 under a series of financial protocols is a matter of public knowledge, and was as follows:

Year Amount £ million To Finance
1983 250 capital goods and projects
25 pharmaceuticals
1984 250 capital goods and projects
50 pharmaceuticals
1986 50 pharmaceuticals
1987 100 capital goods
75 pharmaceuticals
1988 265 capital goods and projects
75 pharmaceuticals

These protocols have not been fully taken up by the Iraqis, and the actual exposure is therefore less than the figures given above.