EU: UK Balance of Trade Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Duke of Montrose
Main Page: Duke of Montrose (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)Department Debates - View all Duke of Montrose's debates with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
(12 years ago)
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Baroness Warsi
My noble friend makes an important point and perhaps I may add to her statistics. Membership of the European Union gives us access to a market of more than 500 million consumers and more than 45% of UK exports are to the European Union. The point made about foreign direct investment is an important one. In 2011 the UK attracted a fifth of all foreign direct investment projects in Europe and half of all the European headquarters of non-EU firms are based in the United Kingdom.
The Duke of Montrose
My Lords, I declare an interest as a farmer. Is my noble friend aware that our balance in food trade with the EU in 2011 was a deficit of £13.6 billion?
Baroness Warsi
I was not aware of those specific issues in relation to food trade. However, I go back to the general point. There will be some areas, predominantly in goods, where we run a deficit but there are other areas, in which we are very good, such as services, where we run a surplus.