HC Deb 26 February 1985 vol 74 cc112-8W
Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the United Kingdom's crude trade balance in yarns, fabrics and garments, respectively, in the years from 1979 to 1984;

(2) what was the United Kingdom's crude trade balance in textiles and clothing and the overall trade balance in manufactures with Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Macao in 1979 to 1984;

(3) what was the United Kingdom's crude trade balance in textiles and clothing and the overall trade balance in manufactures with the Association of South East Asian Nation countries in the years 1979 to 1984;

(4) in how many multi-fibre arrangement product categories multi-fibre arrangement suppliers increased their utilisation of their quotas to the United Kingdom by 10 per cent. or more in 1983 compared with 1982, and in 1984 compared with 1983;

(5) how many times the anti-surge mechanism in the multi-fibre arrangement bilateral agreements was used in 1983 and 1984; and on how many occasions other EEC member states utilised the anti-surge mechanism in the same period;

(6) in which multi-fibre arrangement group I product categories, the individual quotas to the United Kingdom for Macao, Taiwan and South Korea, respectively, exceeded 1 per cent. of total United Kingdom imports of the product concerned in 1980;

(7) in which multi-fibre arrangement group I product categories, the quotas to the United Kingdom of the non-dominant multi-fibre arrangement suppliers exceeded 2.5 per cent. of the United Kingdom's total imports of the products concerned in 1980;

(8) what were the levels of the voluntary export restraints from Portugal and Spain to the United Kingdom of textile and clothing products for 1983 and 1984; and

(a) Supplier country (b) Product (MFA category) (c) Trigger level (d) Agreed quota (e) Imports
1983
Macao Knitted trousers (28) 12,000 pieces 85,000 pieces for 1983 4 per cent. growth 1984/5/6 106,766 pieces
Indonesia Woven fabric of man-made fibres (3) 79.5 tonnes 740 tonnes for 1984 2 per cent. growth 1985–86 554.1 tonnes
Taiwan Women's woven underwear (excluding nightwear) (30B) 1.2 tonnes 3 tonnes (15 September 1983 to 31 December 1983) 10 tonnes 1984 4 per cent. growth 1985–86 26.9 tonnes
Romania Knitted trousers (28) 14,000 pieces 90,000 pieces (plus exceptional 15,000) for 1983 4 per cent. growth 1984/5/6 95,805 pieces
Macao Men's and boys' coats (14B) 9,000 pieces 82,000 pieces for 1983 2 per cent. growth 1984/5/6 37,395 pieces
Thailand Women's and girls' coats (15B) 99,000 pieces 205,000 (plus exceptional 39,000) pieces for 1983 4 per cent. growth* for 1984/5/6 203,709 pieces
Thailand Men's and boys' woven suits (16) 39,000 pieces 111,000 (plus exceptional 30,000) pieces for 1983 5 per cent, growth 1984/5/6 144,275 pieces
Yugoslavia Knitted shirts, T-shirts (4) 270,000 pieces 250,000 pieces (September to December 1983); 650,000 pieces for 1984 3.5 per cent, growth 1985–86 968,945 pieces
Macao Knitted outer-garments (not elsewhere specified) (83) 19.7 tonnes EC quota, United Kingdom share of 52 tonnes for 1983, plus one tonne per annum for 1984/5/6 42.6 tonnes
Indonesia Cotton cloth (2) 266.5 tonnes 1,664 tonnes for 1984 2 per cent. growth for 1985–86 1,257.5 tonnes
China Sacks and bags of poly-ethylene or poly-propylene (33) 218 tonnest† 600 tonnes for 1984 6 per cent. growth for 1985/6/7/8 524.8 tonnes
Romania Knitted track-suits (73) 32,000 pieces EC quota, United Kingdom share 98,000 pieces for 1983 EC growth of 3 per cent. 1984/5/6 120,886 pieces
Yugoslavia Men's and boys' woven jackets and blazers (17) 45,000 pieces 152,000 pieces for 1984 7 per cent. growth for 1985–86 110,416 pieces
Philippines Women's and girls' knitted suits (74) 58,000 pieces 200,000 pieces for 1984 6 per cent. growth for 1985–86 129,624 pieces
1984
China Spun regenerated yarn (23) 146 tonnes EC quota, United Kingdom share 156 tonnes for 1984 5 per cent. growth 1985/6/7/8 for EC 391.2 tonnes
Bangladesh Woven shirts (8) 212,000 pieces Negotiations not yet concluded 1,035,531 pieces
Thailand Women's woven suits (29) 44,000 pieces‡ 152,000 pieces for 1984 5 per cent, growth 1985–86 96,983 pieces
Hong Kong Corsets (86) 109,000 pieces 650,000 pieces for 1984 approximately 4 per cent, growth 1985–86 562,051 pieces
Philippines Corsets (86) 181,000 pieces 700,000 pieces for 1985 5 per cent. growth 1986 616,233 pieces

what were the actual levels of exports to the United Kingdom from these sources in each product category concerned in these years;

(9) what have been the levels of United Kingdom exports and imports of yarns, fabrics and garments, respectively, and the resulting crude trade balance with Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia in 1982, 1983 and 1984.

Mr. Trippier

I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the Official Report information on those cases where the basket extractor was used by the United Kingdom in 1983 and 1984 to introduce new quotas on textile and clothing products indicating (a) the countries involved, (b) the products involved, (c) the trigger level for imports in each case, (d) the quotas agreed and (e) actual levels of imports into the United Kingdom of the products concerned in 1983 and 1984.

Mr. Trippier

The information is as follows:

Notes:

1. Imports may exceed the quota level in a given year for a variety of reasons. In the case of newly-introduced quotas the most likely explanation is our obligation under GATT to admit goods in transit to the United Kingdom at the time a quota was introduced even if the quota level is thereby exceeded.

2. Strictly speaking, the quota on Chinese category 23 products was agreed in the course of negotiations for a new EC-China textiles agreement, but the trigger level had been exceeded.

* Erroneously shown as 3½ per cent. in reply to the hon. Member's question of 31 October 1984 (Official Report 31 October 1984, column 1008).

† Erroneously shown as 2,127.7 tonnes in the above reply.

‡ This is the finally agreed figures; at the time of the above reply only the provisional figure of 42,000 pieces was available.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the level of utilisation of the United Kingdom's multi-fibre arrangement quotas for each group I product category by each supplier country in 1983 and 1984.

1983 Utilisation of Quotas (in percentage terms)
Country Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 Category 5 Category 6 Category 7 Category 8
per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent.
Brazil 99 95 100 80 n.a. 61 9 n.a.
Bulgaria nil 9 nil nil 100 4 nil 17
China 84 94 100 89 100 93 44 95
Colombia 72 *54 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Czechoslovakia nil 100 9 100 42 100 nil nil
Egypt n.a. n.a. n.a. 56 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Hong Kong n.a. 99 99 92 100 100 98 100
Hungary n.a. 100 13 16 35 68 2 67
India n.a. 30 n.a. 90 47 42 45 52
Indonesia n.a. 100 100 n.a. n.a. 21 97 100
Republic of Korea 100 95 99 95 92 100 97 100
Macao n.a. n.a. n.a. 90 97 100 100 100
Malaysia n.a. *93 62 8 65 22 43
Mexico nil n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Pakistan 94 100 n.a. 75 5 n.a. n.a. 86
Peru 100 82 n.a. n.a. nil n.a. n.a. n.a.
Philippines n.a. n.a. n.a. 63 59 92 78 47
Poland n.a. 81 89 14 97 44 n.a. 11
Romania nil 19 100 43 100 77 100 97
Singapore n.a. 50 38 50 17 54 43 64
Sri Lanka n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 4 98 100
Thailand n.a. *95 64 70 51 90 80
Uruguay n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a
Yugoslavia 95 100 64 37 51 72 84 94
* Combined quotas of Mfa categories 2 and 3.
n.a.—not applicable, as categories not subject to quota for these supplying countries.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of Portuguese and Spanish exports of yarns, fabrics and garments, respectively, in 1983 and 1984 were sent to the United Kingdom.

Mr. Trippier

Information for 1984 is incomplete. The available figures together with those for 1982 are:

Per cent.
Spain Portugal
Yarns*
1982 6.4 31.2
1983 5.7 35.4
1984 January-June 41.4
Fabrics
1982 12.1 28.2
1983 12.9 30.3
1984 January-June 27.1
Garments
1982 4.8 19.4
1983 4.9 19.2
1984 January-June 19.6

Mr. Channon

Utilisation of multi-fibre arrangement group I category quotas to the United Kingdom in 1983 by supplier countries which have concluded bilateral agreements with the Community on trade in textiles is shown in the following table. The final 1984 utilisation figures are not yet available.

* Standard International Trade Classification (rev 2) group 651 less 651.21.

† Groups 652–656 and 657.1–657.4.

‡ Division 84 less groups 848 and 847.11.

≑ Based on value.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the utilisation of quotas in multi-fibre arrangement categories 68, 71 and 80 in the years 1982, 1983 and 1984.

Mr. Channon

The 1982 and 1983 utilisation of quotas for multi-fibre arrangement categories 68, 71 and 80 the Community bilateral textiles agreements with supplying countries was as follows:

MFA category 68

  • 1982:81 per cent.
  • 1983:58 per cent.

MFA category 71

  • 1982:81 per cent.
  • 1983:67 per cent.

MFA category 80

  • 1982:93 per cent.
  • 1983:80 per cent.

The 1984 utilisation figures are not yet available.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the level of import penetration in the United Kingdom's yarns, fabric and garment markets in each of the years from 1979 to 1984, measuring import penetration as the share of apparent final consumption taken by imports.

Mr. Trippier

Comparable information can be provided for only textiles and clothing. This excludes man-made fibre continuous filament yarn and includes a small amount of textile products which are not yarn or fabrics, and is as follows:

Textiles and Clothing (Class 43 and Group 453 of the Standard Industrial Classification revised 1980)
Import penetration per cent.
1979 31
1980 32
1981 36
1982 37
1983 38
1984* 39
* Year ended June.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which product categories South American members of the multi-fibre arrangement utilised 90 per cent. or more of their multi-fibre arrangement quotas to the United Kingdom in 1982, 1983 and 1984.

Mr. Channon

The following South American countries utilised 90 per cent. or more of their multi-fibre arrangement quotas to the United Kingdom in 1982 and 1983 for the product categories indicated:

Brazil

  • 1982:MFA categories 1, 3 and 4.
  • 1983:MFA categories 1, 2 and 3.

Peru

  • 1982:MFA categories 1 and 2.
  • 1983:MFA category 1.

The 1984 utilisation figures are not yet available.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which multi-fibre arrangement product categories Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka utilised 90 per cent. or more multi-fibre arrangement quotas to the United Kingdom in the years 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively.

Mr. Channon

In 1982 and 1983 India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka utilised 90 per cent. or more of their multi-fibre arrangement quotas to the United Kingdom for the following categories:

India

  • 1982:MFA categories 4, 6, 15B 27 and 29.
  • 1983:MFA categories 4, 6 and 27.

Pakistan

  • 1982:MFA categories 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, ex10, 27 and 80.
  • 1983:MFA categories 1, 2 and ex10.

Sri Lanka

  • 1982:MFA category 7.
  • 1983:MFA categories 7 and 8.

The final 1984 utilisation figures are not yet available.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the numbers employed in the United Kingdom's textile and clothing industries, the gross output of these industries, and output per head in each of the years from 1979 to date.

Mr. Trippier

The available information is as follows:

Textiles and Clothing (Class 43 and Group 453 of the Standard Industrial Classification revised 1980)
1979 1980 1981 1982
Employment (thousands) 669 592 507 469
Gross output (£ million) 8,717 8,158 7,816 8,094
Gross output per head (£) 13,036 13,792 15,432 17,247

Source:

Annual Censuses of Production for 1979 to 1982.

Notes:

Information for later years is not yet available.

Employment levels differ from those published by the Department of Employment because of a slightly different coverage. ACOP figures have been used for consistency with those for gross output.

Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the levels of investment in the United Kingdom's textile and clothing industries and the amount of state aid for investment received by these industries in each year from 1979 to date.

Mr. Trippier

The available information is as follows:

Net Capital Expenditure* by textiles and clothing industries (Class 43 and Group 453 of the Standard Industrial Classification revised 1980)
current prices
£ million
1979 263
1980 199
1981 166
1982 186

Sources: Annual Censuses of Production for 1979 to 1982.

* Net of disposals.

United Kingdom Government assistance to textiles, clothing and footwear industries (Orders XIII and XV of the Standard Industrial Classification revised 1968)
£ million
April 1979—April 1980 52
April 1980—April 1981 64
April 1981—April 1982 50
April 1982—April 1983 52
April 1983—April 1984 66
April 1984—September 1984 26

Notes:

1. Assistance is largely for investment.

2. The amounts shown are in respect of a mixture of offers and payments and cover regional development grant, section 7, section 8, support for innovation and similar Northern Ireland schemes.

3. Assistance for Northern Ireland excludes any for the footwear sector, but separate figures for this industry are not available for Great Britain.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which senior officials of his Department were primarily involved in the recent discussions with the EC concerning the clothing, footwear and textiles (CLOFT) scheme.

Mr. Trippier

It is not our practice to name individual officers in this way.

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