§ Mr. David Steelasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of their relevance to the multi-fibre arrangement and in order to identify any new import surges requiring quota action, he will give higher priority to the production of textile statistics.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweI have received representations from several hon. Members and from the textile industry directly about the absence of trade statistics for textiles for March to August 1981. I very much sympathise with the problems that the textile industry faces but, after further examination of the options for the recovery of trade statistics, delayed by the Civil Service dispute, it remains clear that to make exceptions in the case of all industries which have made representations would worsen the difficulties of producing current figures and processing the backlog.
Figures for the current levels of trade in textiles for September onwards will be available according to the normal timetable and should identify any sharp increases in imports in the future.