§ Mrs. Bridget PrenticeTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many British companies in the last two years have been refused permission by the Polish authorities to sell their products in Poland; what products these British companies have been seeking to export to Poland; what reasons the Polish authorities have given to justify refusal of permission; and what efforts his Department has made on behalf of these companies to overturn the decision of the Polish authorities.
§ Mr. NeedhamNo comprehensive record has been kept in the last two years but my Department has received complaints from about half a dozen British companies concerning the application to their products of Polish technical specifications and health and safety regulations. In each case where the company has been unable to resolve the difficulties my Department has intervened in close collaboration with our embassy in Warsaw. One such case has recently been resolved entirely to the satisfaction of the British company concerned; two others are under discussion.
If the hon. Member would like to discuss any individual case, I should be pleased to hear from her. She will, no doubt, be aware that British exports to Poland have increased very rapidly over the period in question and it would perhaps be surprising if we did not encounter a few difficulties with a legal framework for business which is still evolving.