§ Mr. VazTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what representations he has received from the British footwear manufacturers on proposals for action by the EEC Commission on imports from the far east; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what information he has on the conclusions of the European Commission on the effects on Britain's footwear industry of the imports from the far east;
(3) what steps he has taken through the Common Market to reduce imports from the far east into Britain.
§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will list in theOfficial Report the steps he has taken in the last 12 months to reduce imports from far eastern sources that are causing damage to the United Kingdom footwear industry;
United Kingdom imports of footwear £ million January February March 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1989 1989 South Korea 28.3 28.0 33.0 50.9 76.2 6.8 6.8 6.8 Taiwan 51.2 49.2 47.1 69.9 74.6 7.7 7.2 6.5 Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.
Notes:
Footwear defined as Division 85 of Standard Internation Trade Classification Revisions 2 and 3.
1988 and 1989 data provisional.
§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list as a percentage, for each of the last 10 available years, imports of footwear into the United Kingdom as a proportion of all supplies to the home market.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkImports of footwear into the United Kingdom as a percentage of all supplies to the home market over the last 10 available years were as follows:
Percentage 1978 30 1979 34 1980 35 1981 39 1982 42 1983 44 1984 47 1985 46 1986 45 1987 47
§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what was the total level of imports of footwear from Taiwan(a) five years ago and (b) at the latest available date;
(2) what was the total imports of footwear from Korea (a) five years ago and (b) at the latest available date.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkImports of footwear from South Korea in 1984 were valued at £28.3 million; in the period January to March 1989, the latest information available, imports of footwear were valued at £20.4 million. For the
390W(2) what steps he is proposing to take to encourage EEC officials to come to a conclusion and take action in relation to cheap imports of footwear to the United Kingdom, particularly from the far east, which were investigated in 1988.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe European Commission has conducted a Community-wide investigation into imports of footwear from Taiwan and South Korea. I have pressed the Commission to report its findings at the earliest possible date and we will consider what action to take immediately the Commission's recommendations are known.
§ Mr. VazTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what was the level of imports of shoes from Korea to Britain for each year from 1984 to 1988 and for each month in 1989;
(2) what was the level of imports of shoes from Taiwan to Britain for each year from 1984 to 1988 and for each month in 1989.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe information is given in the following table:
same periods, imports of footwear from Taiwan were valued at: 1984, £51.2 million; January to March 1989, £21.4 million.