§ 53. Mr. FallonTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will consider publishing official estimates of the effects of voluntary restraint arrangements on imports into the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkVoluntary restraint arrangements generally seek to limit imports of a particular product or range of products to agreed levels. The effects of such arrangements on imports vary according to the levels and coverage of the agreement, the extent to which it is respected and whether there is scope to switch production to areas that are perceived as less sensitive by the industry. The conditions set in individual voluntary restraint agreements are not published and the advice I received on the impact on imports was based on commercially confidential information.