§ Mr. Proctorasked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on recent talks which have been held with the Government of the United States of America concerning United Kingdom participation in the Siberian pipeline project; and if he will assess the extent and effect of United States sanctions on United Kingdom companies involved in the project.
§ Mr. Peter Rees[pursuant to the reply, 22 October 1982]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed this problem with the American Secretary of State, Mr. Shultz, and with his European colleagues at the recent meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Canada. The Ministers were united on the need to solve the pipeline dispute as quickly as possible, and to ensure that no such dispute occurs in the future.
The effect of the United States measures on individual British firms is primarily a matter for the firms concerned. In a number of cases my right hon. and noble Friend was satisfied that there was a likelihood of damage to the trading interests of the United Kingdom, and he therefore issued directions under section 1(3) of the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980 to prohibit the firms concerned from complying with the United States measures.