§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Trade when the next tariff increase is expected under the Treaty of Accession 217W on goods from Commonwealth and other countries; what commodities will be affected; and what estimate he can make of the effect such increases will have on domestic inflation.
§ Mr. DeakinsThe next tariff changes under the Treaty of Accession are due to be made on products covered by the common organisation of the market in beef and veal—live animals, meat (including prepared or preserved), offals and fats —at the start of the 1974–75 marketing year, the date of which is expected to be decided at the meeting of the Council of Ministers (Agriculture) this week. The changes involve the second 20 per cent. reduction in duties on imports from other members of the Community, and the second stage move towards the common customs tariff (CCT), reducing by 40 per cent. the difference between the United Kingdom's rates applied at 1st January 1972 and the CCT rates.
These tariff changes will be taken into account in reaching the overall agreement on agricultural prices, for which as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said on 19th March—[Vol. 870, c. 868]—the objective is that there shall be no increase in domestic prices.