§ Mr. Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will extend to the United Kingdom similar complete restrictions with regard to imports of Dundee specialties in jute as are in effect in France and Ireland.
§ Mr. ChannonThe Government are always willing to consider the introduction of selective import controls in conformity with our international obligations. However, as the United Kingdom industry is aware, all Community and national restrictions on jute imports from India and Bangladesh were liberalised with effect from 1 January 1984 under the terms of the Community's agreements with those countries, and there is no justification for seeking their reintroduction. In respect of these countries, France and Ireland are now in the same position as the United Kingdom.
However, unlike the United Kingdom, France and Ireland, by virtue of their pre-accession national restrictions, have retained the ability to restrain a wider range of jute products from other sources. For the United Kingdom to seek to extend its restrictions to cover a similar range of products would require a formal request for selective import controls. I am not convinced that this is justified.