§ Mr. Nobleasked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps are being taken by 10W his Department to ensure that any trade in textiles with China does not result in additional import penetration of the United Kingdom market.
§ Mr. John SmithI refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) on 23 March 1979.
§ Mr. Nobleasked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure that any trade in footwear with China does not result in additional import penetration of the United Kingdom market.
§ Mr. John SmithThe United Kingdom/China economic co-operation agreement, which was signed recently by the Secretary of State for Industry, envisages a significant expansion of two-way trade over the next few years. In considering the practical implementation of this agreement, the British Government will keep in mind the interests of individual domestic sectors which face problems as a result of the level of import penetration, but must also consider the country's commercial interests as a whole and the potential export opportunities in China.