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Steel Exports

Volume 465: debated on Tuesday 31 May 1949

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71.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why steel exports in 1948 to the British Empire amounted to only 40 per cent. of 1938 exports, whereas similar exports to foreign countries have increased by 120 per cent.

While I do not accept the figures given by the hon. Member, I agree that a comparison of 1948 figures with those for 1938 shows that the share for British Commonwealth countries has gone down and that for foreign countries has gone up. There are a number of reasons for this—among them, the increased production of iron and steel in some British Commonwealth countries, a change which made them less dependent upon us for supplies, and the increase in supplies to British oil companies operating in foreign countries.