§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the benefits to(a)the UK and(b)developing countries from eliminating all barriers to trade in goods. [124376]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienA number of studies indicate that the elimination of barriers to trade in goods could bring significant benefits both to European Union and to developing countries. Although these studies do not separately identify the effects on the UK economy, there are good reasons to suggest gains to the UK will be in line with those of the EU as a whole.