§ Mr. BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Industry Council held on 26 September.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe Council, at which I represented the United Kingdom, discussed a Commission proposal on the restructuring of the Italian steel industry and the present EC/US steel negotiations. A statement was also made by the Commission on the current state of the steel market. A draft resolution, setting out a programme for improving conditions for sub-contractors in the Community, was agreed by the Council. Discussion also took place on the Community's handicraft industry and there was a Commission presentation on the current proposal to extend the life of pharmaceutical patents.