§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the import surveillance of cutlery; whether the surveillance is ended or is to continue; and whether he has consulted the Federation of British Cutlery Manufacturers in reaching a decision.
§ Mr. ParkinsonMy right hon. Friend announced on 21 December 1979 that 587W national surveillance import licensing arrangements, including those affecting cutlery, would be discontinued with effect from 1 January 1980. It was not possible to hold consultations prior to an announcement of this kind, but I have written recently to reassure the federation that the ending of national surveillance licensing will not affect our ability to monitor trends in imports of cutlery and the other goods involved.