§ Sir Richard BodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the United Kingdom's trade deficit with the rest of the EEC can be attributed to food imports.
§ Mr. CurryI have been asked to reply.
The United Kingdom's net visible trade deficit with the European Community was £10.8 billion in 1990. The visible trade deficit in respect of food, feed and drink was £4.4 billion. It would be wrong to conclude from such figures that 41 per cent. of the deficit could be attributed to food: because some sectors have positive balances, the sum of the deficits will add to more than 100 per cent. Thus the deficit on machinery was 43 per cent., that on motor vehicles was 50 per cent. and that on miscellaneous goods was 27 per cent.