HC Deb 29 January 1964 vol 688 cc71-2W
Mr. Ellis Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what consideration has been given to the law relating to the importation of goods and materials into this country which have only partly been made or processed in a Commonwealth country but were received from another country before being exported into Great Britain, including processed cloth, textiles, wearing apparel, and pottery made in one country and decorated in another; to what extent they are precluded from claiming preferential entry under his regulations; and what action is taken to deal with this problem.

Mr. Heath

To be eligible for preference, goods must be manufactured in and consigned from the Commonwealth preference area, and a prescribed proportion of their costs must be attributable to materials produced and work done in the area. Cloth must be woven in the Commonwealth. Pottery and made-up textiles such as wearing apparel must be made there. Mere finishing processes carried out in the area on foreign goods would not make them eligible. I see no reason to change the law or the Regulations made under it.