§ Mr. Ovendenasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list those international agreements which prevent Her Majesty's Government from reducing the level of duty-free imports of paper and paper products and indicate what arrangements exist for withdrawal from such agreements.
§ Mr. DeakinsThe agreements covering the duty-free quotas for imports of paper and paper products are the Free Trade Agreements between the EEC and each of the seven EFTA countries (Command Papers Nos. 5159 Austria: 5669 Finland: 5182 Iceland: 5556 Norway: 5180 Sweden: 5181 Switzerland and 5164 Portugal). The Agreements may be denounced by either side notifying the other and will cease to be in force 12 months thereafter—in the case of Finland, three months. The undertaking not to reduce the duty-free quota levels was given in July 1972 in an exchange of letters between Her Majesty's Government and each EFTA country (No. 5 in Command 5180).