§ 1. Miss Burtonasked the President of the Board of Trade when, in view of the protest being made to the Council of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade by the Danish Government concerning the proposed 10 per cent. import duty on bacon, he will be able to make a statement upon the position.
§ The President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Peter Thorneycroft)No such protest has been made. Since the hon. Lady put down her Question, our negotiations with Denmark have been concluded, and the resulting Agreement has been published in Cmd. 9707.
§ Miss BurtonAs the Minister of State, Board of Trade, on 28th February, said that we did not impose settlements on our friends, such as Denmark, can the President of the Board of Trade explain why the Prime Minister of Denmark has said that she could not sign a formal agreement accepting the principle of the tariff, though, at the same time, she had no means of preventing Britain from applying it? Is not that a rather strange interpretation by the right hon. Gentleman?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThe whole matter is fully and accurately set out in Cmd. 9707. I do not think that I wish to add to it.
§ Miss BurtonThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my question. If, as the Minister of State said, we do not impose settlements upon our friends, why has the Danish Prime Minister said that they have signed no agreement?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThe hon. Lady's Question asked about a protest in connection with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and no such protest has been made.