§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Trade how many woven shirts imported from India in 1975 were not subject to the quota restrictions existing at that time; and how many of the 1976 imports were not subject to the quota restraints agreed within the Multi-Fibre Arrangement.
§ Mr. MeacherLicences have been issued outside the quota for the import of
woven cotton shirts from India, certified as handloom products. Actual imports have been substantially below these levels, but precise figures are not available.
1975 4,611,000 1976 (January to October) 9,710,000 Imports from India of woven shirts other than of cotton, not subject to quota restrictions, were as follows:
1975 79,164 1976 (January to September) 32,064
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what is the 1976 quota under the Multi-Fibre Arrangement for woven cotton shirts from India;
(2) what categories of woven cotton shirts are imported from India which are not subject to quota restraints; and how such shirts are identified;
(3) what action his Department takes to ensure that woven cotton shirts imported from India as being outside quota restraints do not actually come within the quota.
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§ Mr. Michael MeacherThe United Kingdom share of the 1976 quota for men's and boys' woven cotton shirts under the terms of the EEC-India Textile Agreement is 710,437 shirts. The agreement provides that certain handloom and textile handicraft products may be imported outside the quota, provided that they are certified as such by the Indian authorities in the form set out in the agreement. Woven cotton shirts from India may therefore be imported without restriction as to quantity provided that a handloom certificate, issued by the Indian authorities, is produced when application is made for a United Kingdom import licence.