§ Mr. Gwyn Prosser (Dover)I wish to present a petition signed by more than 6,000 citizens of the United Kingdom, many of whom are resident in my constituency.
The petition has been signed by staff employed on Dover's successful ferry fleet and by passengers travelling with the new joint venture company P and O-Stena Line. The petitioners believe that if duty-free sales are abolished in June 1999, there will be a severe impact on jobs in Dover, in other parts of the UK and throughout the European Union. They request that an impact study be conducted before decisions to abolish duty free are ratified.
The petition concludes:
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons calls on the UK Government to support a review of the decision to abolish intra-Community duty and tax-free sales … beyond June 1999, until a full and proper independent study is undertaken into the consequences of the decision.I fully support the petition.To lie upon the Table.