§ Mr. Aitkenasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Steel Council meeting of 26 January.
§ Mr. TebbitThe Steel Council, at which my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Industry and I represented the United Kingdom, assented to the renewal of the mandatory quota arrangements under article 58 ECSC until the end of 1985. The prolonged regime will incorporate the improvements for United Kingdom producers negotiated by my predecessor on 25 July 1983, and reported to the House the following day.
I reminded the Council that the object of the quota regime was to provide a breathing space in which to carry out restructuring, and stressed the need for reductions in excess capacity in accordance with the Commission's decisions of 29 June 1983. Commissioner Andriessen confirmed that the Commission intended to abide strictly by those decisions.
The Council considered the implications for the European Community/United States carbon steel arrangement of the decision by Bethlehem Steel Corporation to file an action under Section 201 of the Trade Act against all United States carbon steel imports, and agreed that the Commission should enter into consultations with the USA under the arrangement.
The Council also considered the present state of the European Community market for ferrous scrap, and agreed to monitor exports while the Commission undertakes a study of the situation.