§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the Official Report a list of all those countries exporting textiles to the United Kingdom which exceeded the 1978 ceiling or presumed trigger level for (a) cotton yarn, (b) stranded woven cotton fabrics, (c) woven spun synthetic fabric, (d) household textiles and furnishing articles, (e) terry towels and towelling, (f) handkerchiefs, (g) bedlinen, (h) spun synthetic yarn, not for retail sale, (i) spun regenerated yarn, not for retail sale, (j) woven pile fabrics, (k) woven filament synthetic fabrics, (1) woven filament regenerated fabrics, (m) woven spun regenerated 616W fabrics, (n) woven table, toilet and kitchen linen; and by how much the ceilings were exceeded to the period January to December 1978.
§ Mr. Meacher, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 February 1979; Vol. 961, c. 493], gave the following information:
There is no direct relationship between 1978 import statistics and quota levels. Apparent discrepancies may arise for various reasons such as additional imports licensed only for re-export, shipments arriving in 1978 but shipped in 1977 and therefore not counting against the 1978 quotas, or the legitimate use of flexibility provisions in the agreements. In the case of products covered by formal quotas for 1978, import licences issued by us for goods shipped in the 1978 quota year in no case exceeded the 1978 quota level.
Imports of the products named from countries with MFA bilateral agreements with the EEC and which were not subject to restraint on 1 January 1978 exceeded the relevant United Kingdom trigger levels in the following cases:
Woven spun synthetic fabric—Brazil.
Bed linen—South Korea.
Woven pile fabrics—Colombia and Hong Kong.
Woven filament synthetic fabrics—India.
Action is being pursued with the EEC Commission on the Brazilian case. Imports of bed linen from South Korea did not exceed the relevant United Kingdom trigger level if imports for re-export are excluded. While we pursue trigger cases with the EEC Commission automatically for the 17 most sensitive textile and clothing products, it has been agreed with the industry that it is for them to request action on other products. No such requests have been received on woven pile fabrics or woven filament synthetic fabrics.
For the Mediterranean countries, and for those covered by the Lomé convention, the trigger levels are not a principal criterion for action. In a number of cases, however, action has been taken or is being taken to restrict imports of the products concerned.