§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade whether the annual average growth rate of approximately 1 per cent. for the global ceilings proposed for group I in the multi-fibre arrangement negotiations includes growth rates in excess of 2 per cent. for individual clothing products; what are the estimated annual growth rates for products outside group I; and to what extent this will result in import growth above the estimated increase in market demand.
370W
§ Mr. Peter ReesThe average figure of 1 per cent. referred to in my reply to the hon. Members for Batley and Morley (Mr. Woolmer) and for Harborough (Mr. Farr) on 1 February—[Vol. 17, c. 11]—includes annual growth rates exceeding 2 per cent. for two individual clothing products. The Commission has not yet put forward specific proposals concerning growth rates for quotas applying to products outside group I.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade if it remains Government policy to seek global ceilings covering imports from all low-cost sources, from both multi-fibre arrangement and preferential suppliers, and including imports under outward processing arrangements with an average annual growth rate of 1 per cent.; and what is his estimate of the effect on the annual growth rate of global ceilings between 1983 and 1986 when outward processing is included.
§ Mr. Peter ReesYes. The Government will continue to press for an average annual rate of increase of approximately 1 per cent in the global ceilings applying to imports into the United Kingdom of group I products from all low-cost suppliers over the period 1983 to 1986. I do not expect the inclusion of outward processed goods to have a significant effect on this average growth rate.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will urge the European Economic Community Council of Ministers at its meeting on 11 February not to authorise the Commission to open multi-fibre arrangement bilateral trade negotiations with the Community's low-cost supplers of textiles and clothing until the Council has considered the Commission's proposals for the access and growth rates to be provided for products not included in the group I category.
§ Mr. Peter ReesThe Council meeting arranged for 11 February has been postponed. A new date has not yet been set. When it is, an agreed policy on the growth in access to be granted for products outside group I is one of the elements for which I shall press before agreeing to the Community's acceptance of the protocol extending the multi-fibre arrangement.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has received the British Textile Confederation's proposals for assessing the acceptability of the outcome of the forthcoming multi-fibre arrangement bilateral trade negotiations; if he will publish the confederation's communication in the Official Report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter ReesI understand that the letter I received from the director of the British Textile Confederation on 5 February has been released to the press, and has also been circulated by him to those members having a special interest in the textiles industry. I receive a good many letters from the representatives of the textile and clothing industries and it would not be appropriate to publish these in theOfficial Report.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade on what criteria he will assess the acceptability of the multi-fibre arrangement bilateral agreements to be negotiated by the European Economic Community Commission with the Community's low-cost suppliers of textiles and clothing; and if these will take account of the outcome of the Community's negotiations with low-cost suppliers not covered by the multi-fibre arrangement.
371W
§ Mr. Peter ReesThe Government will consider the acceptability of the bilateral agreements to be negotiated by the Commission in the light of the negotiating mandates agreed by the Council of Ministers.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish the global ceilings proposed by the European Economic Community Commission for future imports of textiles and clothing from all low-cost sources, and comparative figures showing actual imports of these products in 1980.
§ Mr. Peter ReesIt is not customary to publish working documents of the Council. When the global ceilings applying to imports of group I products from low-cost sources have been agreed by the Council of Ministers the Government will make them public, provided they are satisfied that this can be done without weakening the Commission's negotiating position.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Trade what measures are being taken to ensure that Mediterranean and other preferential clothing and textile suppliers to the United Kingdom are subject to satisfactory arrangements, in view of the fact that they are not covered by the multi-fibre arrangement.
§ Mr. Peter Rees[pursuant to his reply, 9 February 1982, c. 301]: The Commission has already received a mandate from the Council to negotiate new voluntary restraint arrangements with the Mediterranean textile supplying countries, whose previous arrangements expired at the end of 1981. Imports of group I products from these countries will be subject to the overall global ceilings to be established.