HC Deb 19 June 1978 vol 952 cc22-3
16. Mr. David Hunt

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress has been made within the EEC on agreeing co-ordinated defence measures to meet the Russian maritime threat; and if he will make a statement.

22. Mr. Blenkinsop

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will make a statement on the monitoring system to be set up in Europe to collect information on shipping by State trading companies and by flags of convenience and its relevance to the impact of USSR shipping practices on British shipping.

Mr. Clinton Davis

The Transport Ministers' Council last week adopted a decision enabling the Community to monitor the fleets whose practices threaten EEC shipping and opening the way for subsequent concerted counter-measures.

Details of monitoring arrangements applicable to the State trading countries, including the Soviet Union, and flag of convenience fleets will be submitted for a decision in November.

Mr. Hunt

Is the Minister aware that, on emerging from the meeting in Luxembourg last Tuesday, he was reported as saying "I don't think the Russians can ignore us now"? Is he further aware that there is some concern about the watering down of this proposal? Can he therefore explain what gives him the confidence to make such a remark? Will he also explain what surveillance procedures his Department is drawing up and how they differ from the monitoring system which he assured the House was in existence at the end of last year?

Mr. Davis

Dealing with the latter point, under Part III of the Merchant Shipping Act 1974 we have got our monitoring procedures in order already. The decision that was made is applicable to the entire EEC.

As for the hon. Member's first point, I am not responsible for the way in which some newspapers or magazines choose to report matters. What I said was that I was very disappointed with the progress made in the EEC. Indeed, that was borne out in the debate which we had in the House in anticipation of these discussions. In fact, I added that at least some progress had been made, however disappointing that might be, and that I thought it right that the Soviet Union should take note of the fact that the EEC had at last taken into account some of the predatory practices which the Russians were pursuing.

Mr. Neubert

What value are these new monitoring procedures? Is it not known already that 95 per cent. of trade between the EEC and the USSR is carried in Russian ships?

Mr. Davis

That is not really the main problem, as the hon. Member ought to know. The main problem comes in the cross-trade where the predatory activities are rightly concerning not only Britain but a number of other EEC countries. Unfortunately, the damage is not uniform over the whole of the EEC. That may account for the lack of will amongst some. But this is a matter which at long last has been seized—disappointingly, perhaps—by the whole EEC. Let us hope now that there will be a direct movement towards combating these very damaging policies.