§ Mr. Chichester-Clarkasked the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to announce his decision on the application of the farmers' unions and the Milk Marketing Board on the imposition of anti-dumping or countervailing duties on certain imported cheeses.
§ Mr. Joplingasked the President of the Board of Trade what progress he is making in regard to the dumping of cheese.
§ Mr. CroslandI have now completed my examination of the application and am satisfied that exports of cheddar and certain other types of cheese to the United Kingdom from Australia, Canada, the Irish Republic, France and the Netherlands have been and are being dumped and subsidised on a considerable scale, and that this dumping and subsidisation has caused and threatens to cause material injury to the United Kingdom cheese producers. In considering whether it would be in the national interest to impose antidumping or countervailing duties, I am particularly concerned about the threat arising from the now excessive level of stocks of imported cheese. I have decided to await the outcome of the discussions which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has had and proposes to have with the countries concerned about the voluntary restraint by them of the level of their exports of cheese to the United Kingdom. As the House is aware, the Governments of New Zealand, Australia and the Republic of Ireland, which supply most of our imports of cheddar-type cheese, have agreed to co-operate in a scheme of voluntary112W restraint in deliveries to our market in the period up to 31st March, 1970.