Signs Of ‘Get-Tough’ Policy In Britain

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31983, 9 May 1969, Page 12

Signs Of ‘Get-Tough’ Policy In Britain

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent)

LONDON, May 8. Signs of a “get tough with New Zealand” approach by the British Government appeared yesterday'when the Minister of Customs (Mr Shelton) talked with British Ministers.

During a series of calls yesterday morning in Whitehall Mr Shelton faced a half hour of strong criticism from Lord Brown, Minister of State at the Board of Trade, on the declining percentage of British trade with New Zealand.

Mr Shelton declined to comment on how he interpreted Lord Brown’s statement on New Zealand's dairy trade with the United Kingdom, but he left no doubt that he regarded it as a serious indication of British thinking. Lord Brown, said Mr Shelton, “is still worrying about the declining percentage of British trade with New Zealand. “I said that British exporters always protest about New Zealand’s import controls. But now that we have more than 50 per cent of imports

free from control one would expect Britain’s percentage to go up. Lord Brown thought that other countries were undercutting the market.” Clearly concerned at the attitude of the British Minister, Mr Shelton said at a press conference last night: “Lord Brown declared that if Britain did this with New Zealand butter where would New Zealand be.” Observers said the British Minister apparently “pulled out all the stops" with Mr Shelton, even continuing to maintain that New Zealand had been wrongly advised in

its months-old decision to buy Boeing 737 short-haul Jets from the United States, instead of British aircraft Mr Shelton said the British Minister quoted Anglo-New Zealand trade figures which did not take account of the flow of “invisible” payments from New Zealand to the United Kingdom.

“I pointed out that invisibiles must be taken into account and that the trade balance has been in Britain’s favour nearly every year.” Mr Shelton also met the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Cledwyn Hughes) and the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Fred Mulley). These ministers and Lord Brown had been guarded in their comments on British intentions regarding the move for entry into the European Economic Community, Mr Shelton said.

“I detected a feeling of optimism however,” he said. Mr Hughes said that when he was in Germany last week he mentioned on two occasions to German ministers that one of the understandings on British entry into the E.C.C. was that “New Zealand’s case must be critically ■ examined.” The British Agriculture Minister said he hoped to visit New Zealand early next year, while Mr Mulley indicated that he would be travelling to Wellington in August.