HL Deb 15 December 1982 vol 437 cc597-8

2.48 p.m.

Lord Mottistone

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of the difficulties there could be for manufacturing industry, and especially for exporting food manufacturers, with the introduction of the new harmonised system of customs tariff nomenclature.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Trefgarne)

My Lords, the new harmonised commodity description and coding system has been developed by the Customs Co-operation Council after several years of intensive work to which many countries and trade organisations have contributed. Introduction of a new international nomenclature suitable for customs tariffs, the production of trade statistics and a wide range of trade and transport purposes will inevitably create some difficulties, but it will ensure greater uniformity in customs classification, and benefit trade facilitation and the analysis of internationl trade statistics. Before any final Community decision to adopt the system is taken, there will be the maximum possible consultation with United Kingdom trade interests.

Lord Mottistone

My Lords, while I thank my noble friend for his very full Answer, would he not agree that the difficulties within the European Community to which he referred might largely be dealt with if the Community abolished what are called the notional recipes for processed foods and used only actual recipes in the calculation of monetary compensation amounts as applied to those processed foods?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, what my noble friend describes may well be one of the possible ways forward in this matter. The particular complexities to which my noble friend refers I think principally derive from the need to meet the requirements of the common agricultural policy and the vast range of products that that policy encompasses.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, can the noble Lord say whether the Government themselves are satisfied with the new system of classification? Can he also indicate whether, in the Government's view, the other countries concerned are going to subscribe to this new system? Do the Government think that the United States and Japan are proposing to subscribe to this? If they do not, will that affect Her Majesty's Government's decision in the matter?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, the noble Lord, if I may say so, puts his finger on the nub of this problem. Clearly the new system will be of little advantage if only a few of the nations of the world adhere to it. Certainly the adherence of the United States and Canada, and indeed of Japan, would in our view be crucial.

Lord Mottistone

My Lords, may I follow up the answer to my supplementary? Would my noble friend give a rather firmer assurance of the Government's intention with relation to the abolition of notional recipes? May I ask my noble friend, would he not agree that it would make a very great difference if our Government were to press the Commission on this point in the direction I have indicated?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I am not in a position to give the noble Lord the assurance for which he asks, but I can tell him that his views and the views of those he repreesents will be fully taken into account.