HC Deb 25 May 1988 vol 134 c175W
Mr. Shersby

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, in the light of his Department's promotion of the European single market, he will bring forward proposals for revising competition rules so as to be based on the European Community rather than the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the timescale for such reforms.

Mr. Alan Clark

Proposals for reform of restrictive trade practices legislation were published in my Department's Green Paper of March 1988, Cm. 331. These envisage a system which will be broadly consistent with the equivalent Community rules. The Government are participating fully in working party discussions of the draft

Crude balance of trade in manufactures1 (US$ Billion)
Belgium/Luxembourg Denmark France Netherlands United Kingdom United States of America Federal Republic of Germany Japan
1975 +3.4 -2.0 +9.4 -1.2 +7.7 +17.3 +38.7 +41.6
1976 +3.4 -3.3 +5.4 -0.8 +7.3 +9.8 +42.1 +51.2
1977 +3.0 -3.0 +9.0 -3.1 +9.0 +0.3 +46.9 +63.0
1978 +3.5 -3.3 +9.9 -4.8 +7.0 -14.7 +53.6 +74.8
1979 +3.5 -3.7 +11.5 -4.7 +2.6 -3.3 +59.1 +72.6
1980 +3.9 -2.2 +7.3 -3.9 +8.4 10.8 +63.2 +95.1
1981 +4.4 -1.1 +8.8 -0.5 +5.1 +3.1 +61.7 +116.4
1982 +3.8 -1.6 +3.4 -0.1 +0.3 -14.1 +67.5 +104.6
1983 +4.8 -1.1 +6.3 -0.1 -7.5 -41.0 +58.7 +110.9
1984 +4.1 -1.7 +8.9 -0.5 -8.6 -90.8 +59.5 +128.5
1985 +5.1 -2.4 +7.3 -2.1 -7.6 -115.3 +67.5 +134.7
1986 +4.7 -4.5 +1.3 -4.7 -12.1 -147.1 +89.4 +160.2
1987 2+1½ 2-3½ 2-2½ 2-7½ 2-16.3 2-154 2+105 2+164
1 Standard International Trade Classification Sections 5 to 8.
2 Estimate.

Sources: OECD National Sources.