§ Mr. FallonTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington on 30 March,Official Report, column 478, he will set out in tabular form (a) the date on which each inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangement listed is believed to have come into effect, (b) the date on which 91W it was first known to his Department and, when appropriate, (c) the date on which his Department informed the industry concerned that it saw no case for continuation and (d) the date on which it lapsed.
Date Started VRA Date wrote Date to end VRA Monochrome TVs Singapore 1976 1 October 1985 31 December 1985 Korea 1979 1 October 1985 31 December 1985 Taiwan 1976 1 October 1985 31 December 1985 Thailand Unknown 1 October 1985 31 December 1985 Colour TVs Japan 1972 1 October 1985 31 December 1987 Singapore 1984 1 October 1985 31 December 1987 Korea 1985 1 October 1985 31 December 1987 Taiwan 1976 1 October 1985 31 December 1987 Music Centres Japan 1979 1 October 1985 31 December 1985 Korea 1979 1 October 1985 31 December 1985 Taiwan 1976 1 October 1985 31 December 1985 Pottery Japan 1968 16 November 1987 31 December 1987 Stainless Steel Cutlery Japan 1966 16 November 1987 31 December 1987 Korea 1977 16 November 1987 31 December 1987 Pottery Taiwan 11977 Footwear Taiwan 11981 1 Lapsed 1985–86.
§ Mr. FallonTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangement covering the import of special steels from Spain.
(2) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangement covering the import of music centres from (a) Japan, (b) the Republic of Korea and (c) Taiwan;
(3) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements covering the import of stainless steel cutlery from (a) Japan, (b) the Republic of Korea;
(4) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements covering the import of colour televisions from (a) Japan, (b) Singapore, (c) the Republic of Korea and (d) Taiwan;
(5) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements covering the import of pottery from Japan;
(6) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements covering the import of (a) fork lift trucks, (b) machinery centres, (c) numerically controlled lathes, (d) cars and (e) commercial vehicles from Japan;
(7) whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangement covering
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§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe information under(a), (c) and (d) is listed in the table. It is no longer possible to identify the date when the Government first became aware of the arrangements in each case.
the import of monochrome televisions from (a) Singapore, (b) the Republic of Korea, (c) Taiwan and (d) Thailand.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkI refer my hon. Friend to my written answer today to a similar question raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr. Hamilton).
§ Mr. FallonTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will estimate the effect on prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements that covered the import of(a) pottery and (b) footwear from Taiwan.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkAs explained in the written answer of 30 March,Official Report, column 478–89, the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements on imports of pottery and footwear from Taiwan lapsed. It was unnecessary for the Government to carry out a full examination of the impact of the arrangements of prices, employment, domestic output and import volumes.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 18 March,Official Report, column 1365, what estimate his Department has of the effects of specific voluntary restraint arrangements on employment, prices domestic output or import volumes; and if he will publish the figures for each of the voluntary restraint arrangements named in his answer on 30 March, Official Report, columns 379–80.
§ Mr. Alan Clark[holding answer 22 April 1988]: When reviewing the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements, estimates are made of the impact of these arrangements on the protected industries, on customers 93W and the United Kingdom economy as a whole. The advice I received contained commercially confidential information and I am not therefore in a position to make it available. In all cases where the Governmemt advised the industry concerned that it saw no case for continuing the inter-industry restraint arrangement, I was satisfied that the net cost to the economy outweighed any benefit to the industry of continuation.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the written answer of 30 March,Official Report, columns 478–9, whether Her Majesty's Government has sought to discourage the United Kingdom footwear industry from signing a renewed voluntary restraint arrangement with the Republic of Korea.
§ Mr. Alan Clark[holding answer 22 April 1988]: No. The position is under review. But the industry is aware the Government also has wider concerns including the net impact of such arrangements on consumers and on the United Kingdom economy as a whole.