HC Deb 10 July 1989 vol 156 c357W
Mr. Madden

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action is being taken by the EEC Commission to stop the Belgian Government from subsidising that country's manufacturers of carpets.

Mr. Atkins

The Commission has found that the aid granted to the two subsidiaries, Idealspun and Fabelta, of the Belgian textile concern, Beaulieu, is illegal and incompatible with the Common Market, and has ruled that it must be repaid. In the Idealspun case, the European Court of Justice upheld the Commission and, because the aid has not yet been recovered, the Commission has now instituted legal proceedings against the Belgian Government for failing to fulfil its obligations under the treaty of Rome. In the Fabelta case, misleading assurances were given that the aid had been recovered and the Commission has now taken the Belgian Government to the European Court of Justice for failure to comply with its decision ordering recovery of the aid.

Mr. Madden

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from the

United Kingdom crude balances of trade with EC partners 1980–88
£ million
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
France -254 -353 225 608 1,111 1,136 -1,177 -600 -1,120
Belgium/Luxembourg -122 -357 -548 -554 -636 -667 -251 -504 -704
Netherlands 441 124 131 337 12 792 -1,181 -1,293 -2,696
Federal Republic of Germany -587 -425 -1,993 -3,597 -3,604 -3,689 -5,589 -6,379 -8,145
Italy -394 -588 -712 -918 -905 -827 -1,203 -1,071 -1,711
Irish Republic 870 1,031 886 766 759 814 499 343 178
Denmark -76 -123 -237 -353 -464 -344 -545 -643 -57
Greece 91 92 104 115 75 15 47 89 111
Portugal 56 35 49 -79 -258 -256 -296 -148 -117
Spain -95 -48 -70 18 -369 -221 115 65 209

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.

Note: 1988 figures are provisional.