§ Mr. Hanleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the European Community Council of Industry Ministers on 3 March.
§ Mr. ButcherThe Industry Council, at which I represented the United Kingdom, provided an opportunity for a preliminary exchange of views on the Community regime for state aids to shipbuilding which should apply after the fifth directive expires at the end of 1986. A further discussion will take place in the June Council.
The Council also discussed the trade in steel between Spain and Portugal and the 10 other member states. Small 548W increases in the limits to Spanish and Portuguese exports were agreed. I registered the United Kingdom's opposition to the increase in the Spanish limit, but the decision was taken on a majority vote.
The Council made limited progress in agreeing the terms of the draft directive on the mutual acceptance of test data for the type approval of telecommunication terminal equipment and heard a progress report on the draft directive for legal protection against the copying of semiconductor chip designs. A regulation proposing a non-energy raw materials exploration loans scheme was also discussed but not agreed. I maintained our reserve on this proposal which has a low priority for the United Kingdom.