§ 58. Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to prevent the dumping of chipboard in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ 68. Mr. J. E. B. Hillasked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking to avert damage to the expansion of the home chipboard industry and to the national investment in forestry caused by the rising imports of subsidised foreign chipboard.
§ 77. Mr. Brewisasked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent imports of chipboard have increased in the last year; and what steps he now intends to take to protect the home industry, in view of recent increases in imports.
§ Mr. JayI have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Moray and Nairn (Mr. G. Campbell) on 12th June.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithDoes the right hon. Gentleman recognise the great difficulties which face manufacturers of chipboard in this country when dumping comes from Iron Curtain countries? Is he aware that great damage is being done to the manufacturing industry in this 546 country and also to growers and to employment prospects in areas such as Scotland?
§ Mr. JayI appreciate the problems. There is a difficulty when we are concerned with Iron Curtain countries, but we propose to discuss this matter with the countries concerned.
Earl of DalkeithWill the right hon. Gentleman undertake to carry out a very thorough investigation into the prices of material coming to this country, bearing in mind the enormous stake which the taxpayer has in forestry through the Forestry Commission?
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinWhat steps did the right hon. Gentleman take at the recent trade talks with the Russians to bring about a situation in which Iron Curtain countries would give some sort of undertaking about exporting to this country at dumped prices? Does he recognise that it is extraordinarily difficult in these cases to prove dumping within the criteria of the 1956 Act? Can he not do more directly in the course of these trade negotiations to prevent this sort of thing from happening?
§ Mr. JayYes, Sir. We will certainly bear this in mind, but it must also be remembered that the Soviet Union in particular is now placing much larger orders with British industry than for many years. Quite apart from anything else, we have to be satisfied that material injury is caused to the British industry before we introduce an anti-dumping Order. However, I will certainly examine what the hon. Gentleman has said.
§ 67. Mr. J. E B. Hillasked the President of the Board of Trade why, under his regulation, chipboard from Eire comes into this country duty free while British manufactured chipboard exported to Eire is subject to a 20 per cent. duty; and if he will establish parity of treatment.
§ Mr. DarlingUnder the terms of the agreement establishing a Free Trade Area with the Republic of Ireland parity of treatment is being progressively achieved by annual reductions of 2 percentage points in the Republic's rate of duty on British exports of chipboard which currently stands at 18 per cent.
§ Mr. HillAlthough this situation is nothing like as serious to the British chipboard in dustry as the imports from Iron Curtain countries, it is none the less an anomaly. Will not the right hon. Gentleman agree that as long as this kind of disparity of treatment exists, it will be hard to get the natural growth of trade between this country and Ireland which we would like to see?
§ Mr. DarlingThere is nothing anomalous in this. We have agreed with the Republic of Ireland gradually to reduce the tariff so that we can get parity of treatment in the course of time. We must have regard to the balance of interests. I think that this is a very good arrangement.