HL Deb 24 April 1985 vol 462 cc1120-1

2.51 p.m.

Lord Bruce of Donington

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they propose to take in the light of the 15 specific recommendations on the world trading system set out in the Leutwiler Committee's report Trade Policies for a Better Future, published on 27th March.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Lucas of Chilworth)

My Lords, the report was commissioned by the Director-General of GATT and it will be for him to consider how the recommendations should be presented to GATT contracting parties. The United Kingdom looks forward to addressing the points raised in the report in the context of a new GATT round.

Lord Bruce of Donington

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his reply, may I ask him whether, when giving consideration to the matters raised in this most important report, the Government will take note of one of its recommendations: that agriculture shall be treated in future on the same basis as industry and should not be afforded special protection by the various states concerned and no longer treated as a sacred cow? Will they also bear in mind that one of the leading conclusions arrived at by this report is that the distortions caused to ordinary competitive prices based on cost, by large movements of capital across the world on a speculative basis, distort the whole operation of the free trade system as it is evisaged?

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

My Lords, equal weight will be given by Her Majesty's Government to the 15 recommendations contained in the report at a due and appropriate time, and certainly in consultation with our partners.

Lord Bruce of Donington

But, my Lords, can the noble Lord be a little more forthcoming than that? In view of the urgent matters raised in this report, when is "due time"? How long will it be before Her Majesty's Government are able to announce to either House of Parliament, or to both Houses, or to the world at large, exactly what is their own positive attitude?

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

My Lords, as I said in my first Answer, the United Kingdom looks forward to addressing the points raised in the report in the context of a new GATT round. The noble Lord will know that at the beginning of this month OECD Ministers meeting in Paris agreed that a new round should begin as soon as possible. Negotiations to that end are now in hand.