HC Deb 16 April 1980 vol 982 cc653-4W
Mr. Anthony Grant

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement about companies' reports for the period 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1979 under the code of conduct for companies with interests in South Africa.

Mr. Tebbit

The Department of Trade has so far received 202 reports for the reporting period ended 30 June 1979 under the code of conduct for companies with interests in South Africa (Cmnd. for in the EEC's bilateral agreements with supplier countries under the multifibre arrangement. In seven of these cases imports had exceeded trigger levels in the course of 1978. The new quotas and the corresponding trigger levels are listed below. The quotas in all cases exceed the trigger levels; these represent the point at which the Community has the right under the bilateral agreements to seek consultations with the supplier countries concerned with a view to establishing a quota. We have agreed with the industry that we shall pursue with the Commission all cases where trigger levels are exceeded on 17 sensitive products. For others it is left to the industry to put a request to us for such action.

Following are the figures:

7233) adopted by the Governments of the nine member States of the European Community in September 1977. I am grateful to the companies for the trouble they have taken in preparing these reports. Copies of the reports, together with an analysis and summary of the reports prepared by the Department, have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and may be consulted at the Department's headquarters library. Copies are also available for consultation at the British Embassy, Pretoria, and at the British Consulates-General at Johannesburg and Cape Town.

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