§ 15. Mr. Hunterasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he proposes to take to protect the United Kingdom cement industry from unfair overseas competition.
§ 64. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what active steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to protect the British cement industry from the effects of the dumping of subsidised Greek cement in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkMy Department will continue to monitor very closely the trend in imports of cement and take action where the threat of unfair competition emerges. In the case of subsidised Greek cement my continuous pressure for action has brought results. I expect the European Commission to reach agreement before Christmas on the phasing out of Greek export subsidies with a safeguard clause enabling immediate action to be taken in special cases such as cement. The Greek Government have also recognised the need to ensure that cement exports do not unfairly disrupt our market and I hope that complementary discussions will also be concluded before Christmas.