§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement outlining the consequences of the Treaty 340W of Accession for the right of establishment in the United Kingdom of domestic and foreign—EEC and non-EEC—privately-owned steel companies.
§ Mr. BennUnder Section 15 of the Iron and Steel Act 1967, the establishment of certain production facilities for iron and steel, whether by domestic or foreign-owned companies, required the consent of the Secretary of State for Industry. This section was repealed by the European Communities Act 1972, as a consequence of the United Kingdom's joining the European Coal and Steel Community.
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs indicated in his speech on 4th June 1974, the objectives of renegotiation include the question of the powers which we require to pursue effective regional and industrial policies.