§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Trade whether the Government will press for Community action as soon as the EEC is entitled to ask for a quota on a product for which a country with whom the United Kingdom has an agreement becomes a significant supplier; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MeacherThe action to be taken once imports of a particular product reach the trigger level will depend upon the sensitivity of the product concerned and the level of import penetration. For Group I products subject to global ceilings, action will be taken automatically by the Commission. In other cases it will be necessary to demonstrate that imports are causing damage.
§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will press for Community action as soon as a low cost country with which the United Kingdom does not yet 557W have an agreement becomes an important supplier of textiles and clothing; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MeacherThe Commission has undertaken to apply the same trigger criteria to imports from countries which have not concluded bilateral agreements as it does to imports from those which have.
§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will seek to persuade the EEC members of the urgent need for improvements in the monitoring of Community imports; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MeacherWe have constantly stressed the importance of effective monitoring on the Commission, and it is at present considering how the system might be improved. Three systems will be set up—those of the Commission, the United Kingdom textile industry and Whitehall. Similar systems will operate in each of the member States. The industry system is already operational; the Commission system will be ready by the end of the month and the Whitehall system will be fully operational shortly afterwards. The United Kingdom always provided the information required by the Commission within the time limit and has impressed upon the Commission and other member States the need for each country to put the greatest effort into the efficient operation of monitoring and surveillance.