§ Mr. Cashasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the adoption of Community regulations implementing the Community's 26th bi-lateral agreement with textile supplying countries and introducing quota restrictions on imports from Taiwan.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkOn 2 December 1986 the House debated a decision (document 9809/86) relating to the Community's signature of the protocol of the multi-fibre140W arrangement (MFA) and a decision (document 10720/86) on the provisional application of the Community's bilateral textile agreements with certain third countries from 1 January 1987.
The Commission subsequently submitted to the Council its proposals for three regulations, the first setting out the detailed provisions governing the implementation of the above agreements under the MFA with certain third countries, the second with Yugoslavia and the third its proposed regulation concerning quotas on imports from Taiwan. The House of Commons Select Committee on European Legislation considered these three proposed regulations on 17 December 1986 and recommended them for further consideration by the House. I regret it was not possible to arrange the debate before the House rose on 19 December: But since the House had already debated the policy implications of the MFA on 2 December, and since the maintenance of a scrutiny reserve would have prevented implementation of the measures on 1 January 1987, thereby damaging United Kingdom industry, I was satisfied that, in accordance with the terms of the resolution of the House of 30 October 1980, there were special reasons why adoption should not be delayed until after the debate recommended by the Scrutiny Committee. I therefore agreed to the adoption of the three regulations on 22 December 1986. A debate on the regulations will be arranged as soon as possible.