§ 25. Mr. Ronald Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for Industry how much the introduction of new safety standards on fork-lift trucks entering France will adversely affect British industrial truck manufacturers; and to what extent the French standards conflict with the proposed EEC directive on fork-lift regulations which has recently been drawn up.
§ Mr. Les HuckfieldSeveral features of the new French standards for industrial trucks go further than the current draft requirements of the proposed EEC directive which has still to be discussed under the normal Council procedures. In the meantime, our manufacturers and their competitors are having to comply with these new French safety regulations at some cost. It is too early to judge the effect on our trade with France.