HC Deb 01 June 1960 vol 624 cc143-4W
Mr. Dudley Williams

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the 1960–61 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Conference.

Mr. Erroll

Her Majesty's Government welcomed the initiative of the United States Government which led to the calling of the forthcoming G.A.T.T. Tariff Conference. They hope that negotiations at the Conference will lead to substantial reductions in tariff barriers. The United Kingdom will enter into negotiations with the United States and the European Economic Community, and will be ready to exchange important tariff reductions over a wide range of our imports for comparable reductions in tariffs against our exports. In the negotiations, we shall keep in close touch with our partners in the Commonwealth and in the E.F.T.A.