§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will be supporting the EC proposals for controls on footwear imports from China.
§ Mr. NeedhamI have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 2 June to the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Ms. Anderson), Official Report, column 491. As regards representations, my Department have received a large number which divide basically between United Kingdom footwear manufacturers who support the Commission's proposal and United Kingdom importers and retailers who oppose it. The Government will take into account these conflicting views when deciding their attitude to the proposal, the economic justification for which has yet to be properly explained by the Commission.