§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will give an assurance that during his discussions with officials of the European Economic Community on the question of imports of cotton textiles, the effect on unemployment in Lancashire 234W on the insistence of the European Economic Community authorities for the ending of import quotas of textiles by 1973 was discussed; and to what extent Great Britain will be able to refuse to implement these directives on entry into the Common Market.
§ Mr. NobleEmployment has been among the factors taken into account in discussions with EEC officials. We expect to have to modify our quota arrangements after joining the Common Market but not to end them all. We will have an obligation to implement Community instruments in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Accession.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he is aware that Part 2 Commercial Policy Decision 71/394/EEC of 30th November, 1971, was published in English translation and made available to Members of Parliament on 27th May, 1972; and whether he will explain how and in what way this will affect Great Britain;
(2) to what extent Great Britain will be affected by Part 2, 71/394/Commercial Policy of the secondary legislation of the European Economic Community dated 30th November, 1971.
§ Mr. EmeryThe English translation of Decision 71/394 was published on 19th May. The decision is a convenient consolidation of the original version of, and additions made in subsequent regulations to, Annex 1 of Regulation 1025/70. It thus sets out a list of goods which are subject to common rules when imported from third countries, and in itself imposes no new obligations on the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent Great Britain will be affected by Part 2 Commercial Policy Decision 71/395EEC of 30th September, 1971.
§ Mr. EmeryThis decision is a convenient consolidation of the original version of, and additions made in subsequent regulations to, the annex to Regulation 109/70. It thus sets out a list of goods which are subject to common rules when imported from state-trading countries. In itself it imposes no new obligations on the United Kingdom.
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§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent he estimates the number of redundancies announced in the textile industry in Lancashire since June, 1970, will be reduced or increased by his decision to implement the European Economic Community regulations on the ending of quota imports of textiles on 1st January, 1973.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantFuture employment levels in the Lancashire textile industry will depend on a variety of factors among which any modifications of our present system of cotton textile import quotas is only one.