§ 20. Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will take steps to prevent the dumping in the United Kingdom of PVC leathercloth manufactured in Canada, Hungary and other countries, to the detriment of the United Kingdom-based industry.
§ Mr. DeakinsMy Department is ready to consider any application by the United Kingdom industry under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act 1969 887 supported by reasonable prima facie evidence that imports are being dumped and are causing or threatening material injury to the industry.
§ Mr. WigleyI thank the Minister for that reply. Is he aware of the answer given on 5th November which showed that imports in the first quarter of 1974 represented 37 per cent. of home sales compared with 25 per cent. for the corresponding period last year? Is he aware that the industry is very concerned about this increase and that it has led to redundancies in several parts of the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. DeakinsImports, by volume, of coated PVC plastics were up by just over 3 per cent. in the first six months of this year. On the second point, the Leather Cloth and Coated Fabrics Manufacturers Association wrote to my Department in December 1973 alleging the dumping of PVC material. The Department offered to meet the association but has heard nothing from it since. The offer to meet it, of course, remains open.