§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effect of the imposition of anti-dumping duty on imported cotton greycloths in the United Kingdom by the European Commission on employment in the United Kingdom textile industry. [11725]
§ Mr. NelsonWhen Sir Leon Brittan announced the imposition of the current provisional anti-dumping duties on cotton greycloth on 21 November 1996, he committed the Commission to carrying out a full assessment of their likely effects on users of the product in the EU textile finishing industry. The results of the assessment will be 233W made available to member states in the next few months before a decision is taken on whether the duties should be made definitive. The Government will vote against any such proposal and will encourage other member states to do so as well.