§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Industry, in the light of the fact that the proportion of imported garments sold in the United Kingdom represents seven out of every 10 shirts, seven out of every 10 pairs of jeans, six out of every 10 men's jackets, and five out of every 10 blouses, if he is satisfied with this situation; and what action he intends to take.
§ Mr. CryerI am well aware of the large share of our market in shirts, jeans, jackets and blouses taken by imports from low-cost third country suppliers. It is 567W because our import penetration in products such as these is so high compared to that in most other developed countries that we took the lead in seeking a tougher MFA in the negotiations recently concluded.
Major features of the new arrangements are the internal global import ceilings which cover all low-cost imports of highly sensitive products. These ceilings, which cover, amongst other products, shirts, jeans and blouses are intended to keep the growth in imports broadly in line with the expected growth in consumption and thus to bring about a virtual stabilisation in penetration.
The ceilings, and indeed the new arrangements generally, have been welcomed by our industries, as the recent textile debate in the House made clear. Nonetheless, we shall be watching closely to ensure that the new arrangements are effective in achieving a reduction in the rate of increase of imports of sensitive products from low-cost sources.