§ Mr. Fordasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what additional help he proposes to assist in the restructuring of the wool textile industry.
§ Mr. ChatawayThe Economic Development Committee for the Wool Textile Industry and both sides of the industry are preparing proposals for a scheme under the Industry Act 1972 designed to strengthen the industry. When the scheme is received it will be sympathetically considered.
§ Mr. Joel Barnettasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimates he has made of the affect on the textile industry of free entry into the United Kingdom from 1st April 1973 of textiles from those Mediterranean countries which have agreements with the EEC; and if he will seek to safeguard the interests and employment opportunities of the British textile industry.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantImports of cotton yarn from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Cyprus, Malta, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain and Israel will be free of quantitative restrictions no later than 1st April 1973. But they will remain subject to import duties. Woven cotton fabric and made-up goods from these countries will continue to be subject both to quantitative restrictions and to import duties until the end of 1974. Separate arrangements for voluntary restraint of cotton textile exports from Israel to the United Kingdom during the same period have been concluded. I am satisfied that the effect on the British textile industry of this limited measure of liberalisation will not be seriously harmful, and also that adequate safeguards already exist in EEC and United Kingdom legislation to deal effectively with any serious disruption of our industry that might be caused by increased low-cost textile imports from these Mediterranean countries.