HC Deb 15 June 1981 vol 6 cc244-5W
Mr. Waller

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is his policy under a renegotiated multi-fibre arrangement towards the continued use of a system of European Economic Community member State quotas, and continued access to article 115 of the Treaty of Rome in cases where free circulation would create market disruption.

Mrs. Sally Oppenheim

The United Kingdom is fully committed to the retention of a system of national quotas and continued scope for the use of article 115 action to prevent any serious undermining of those quotas through free circulation.

Mr. Jim Marshall

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will be pressing the European Commission to seek reduced quota allocations under a renegotiated multi-fibre arrangement for those low-cost supplier countries that have a large positive trade balance with the European Community.

Mrs. Sally Oppenheim

The Government will be seeking differential treatment of low-cost suppliers in the next MFA, but regard relative competitiveness in EC markets, their stage of development and their openness to Community exports as more appropriate criteria.

Mr. Trippier

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is prepared to press the European Commission to adopt, as part of its negotiating mandate for the forthcoming renegotiation of the multi-fibre arrangement, the setting for each multi-fibre arrangement product of global ceilings for all low-cost countries, including preferential countries.

Mrs. Sally Oppenheim

We wish to see the retention of the broad structure of the present arrangement under which global ceilings are set for the more sensitive products. It would not be practicable to extend this arrangement to every single product covered by the multi-fibre arrangement.

Mr. John Fraser

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) on 1 June, Official Report, c. 637, he will place in the Vote Office, in time for the debate on the multi-fibre arrangement, EEC document COM(81)129 (final) on the renewal of the multi-fibre arrangement.

Mrs. Sally Oppenheim

As my right hon. Friend said to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) on 1 June, he is carefully looking into whether the document can be released to the House.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, following the undertaking by the Minister of State for Trade at the British Textile Confederation conference in April of the current year, he has now consulted textile and clothing industry interests in order to identify those product areas in which United Kingdom industry is strong and those product areas in which United Kingdom manufacturers have largely withdrawn from the market place; and if he will indicate in the light of such consultations, which product areas he feels should be the subject of tight restrictions in a renegotiated multi-fibre arrangement.

Mr. Parkinson

[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1981]: Consultations on this question between the industry and officials from the Departments of Trade and Industry have not yet been completed. It is at this stage too early to say whether substantive conclusions will emerge from these discussions, but we consider it important that, if possible, protection under the next MFA be concentrated where it will do most good.