§ 7. Commander Agnewasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he proposes to take steps before 30th June, 1955, under Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1479 to preserve the absolute right of this country to withdraw bindings of import duties on horticultural produce during the three years' closed season, beginning on 1st July, 1955.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftNo, Sir. The Declaration on the combined application of the tariff schedules provides that countries may, in exceptional circumstances, seek to re-negotiate in respect of particular tariff bindings.
§ Commander AgnewIs my right hon. Friend aware that, quite apart from the general permissive right that he has quoted, there is a particular one giving an absolute right to every country to protect its own trade in that way, provided it lodges the application before 1st July?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftBut if we all tried to re-negotiate all our tariffs before 1st July, the main purpose of getting tariff stability would be endangered.
§ Commander AgnewIs my right hon. Friend aware that there is deep-seated, long-term anxiety amongst the growers of horticultural produce, particularly of apples and pears, who now have no tariff on such produce coming into this country, and that they are looking for remedial action by Her Majesty's Government in the near future?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI will consider any representations on specific cases which my hon. and gallant Friend may care to let me have.