§ 23. Mr. Moateasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the likely reduction in the import of jute manufactures into the United Kingdom which would result from the imposition of the common external tariff; and what proposals he has made to prevent this happening.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantNo such estimate is possible. We have made clear to our partners in the Community that the United Kingdom is prepared to maintain duty-free entry for jute goods.
§ Mr. MoateDoes my hon. Friend agree that this matter is of crucial importance to the export earnings of India, and even more so in the case of Bangladesh, and that the answer lies in allowing generous duty-free quotas for some years to come? Is he satisfied that our Common Market partners share our objectives?
§ Mr. GrantOur Common Market partners are well aware of the United Kingdom's views. It is relevant to point out that substantial reductions in the CET over three years have been proposed during negotiations with India for an agreement on jute textiles.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneWill my hon. Friend bear in mind—and will he advise my hon. Friend the Member for Faver-sham (Mr. Moate) to bear in mind—that British policy on the importation of jute manufactures has for years been consistently far more liberal than has the policy of Continental countries, and that as a result the Scottish jute industry has had to face more than its fair share of competition from low-cost imports from the Indian subcontinent?
§ Mr. GrantAll those points have been made known to our Common Market partners, and I am sure they will be considered in the negotiations which are taking place with India, and later with Bangladesh.