asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce what industrial goods were given improved terms of access to the UK market by the terms of the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement; and if he will state in respect of each of the items the value of exports to the UK in each of the years 1959, 1962, 1965 and 1968.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement.
74.
In broad terms, the industrial products which were given improved terms of access to the UK market by the removal or reduction of duties or quantitative restrictions as a result of the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement were sugar and sugar goods; wine; certain manufactured tobacco; certain chemicals; photographic film; clocks and watches; yarns; fabrics; clothing and other products containing silk or man-made fibres; motor vehicles, parts and components; motorcycles, parts and components; tractors, parts and components; musical instruments; playing cards, matches; mechanical lighters.
The last part of the question cannot be answered in the statistical form requested because the official export list headings do not match the descriptions of goods given improved terms of access under the agreement. For example, goods containing man-made fibres especially can fall within a very large number of headings, not only in the textile sector but elsewhere.
Does the Parliaentary Secretary not agree, first of all, that it is unsatisfactory that our export list figures should not be on a basis that would make this information available and, secondly, would he not agree that, although in a number of cases there are difficulties, the vast bulk of the exports concerned can be identified and would he give the information in respect of that vast bulk?
I believe that there are 195 different headings and, seemingly, it is not possible to list out all these for the Deputy at this stage.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that under many of these headings, such as wine, our exports are fairly small and that, in fact, there is only one group of headings of any significance—that dealing with synthetic fibres?