§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the representations he has received from the footwear industry concerning footwear imports from China; whether he has replied; and what measures he plans to take to address their concerns.
§ Mr. SainsburyI have received a number of letters, including an application from the British Footwear Manufacturers' Federation for my Department to ask the European Commission for the suspension, under article 115 of the treaty of Rome, of free circulation of imported footwear originating in the People's Republic of China. After careful consideration of the industry's case I decided that the facts were not sufficient to warrant such a step. The federation has been informed and I have agreed to meet their representatives on 13 December.