§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what reports have been received by the Industry Council of the European Community from its Commission concerning its negotiating activities as representing the Community in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; what consultations the Commission has had with the Council on these matters; and what was the last date when it provided the Commission with a negotiating mandate.
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Finished manufactures: terms of trade1 Finished manufactures Semi-finished manufactures Manufacturing output Import volume Export volume Import volume Export volume 1985 = 100 annual change percent 1985 = 100 annual change percent 1985 = 100 annual change percent 1985 = 100 annual change percent 1985 = 100 annual change percent 1985 = 100 annual change percent 1970 84 2— 22.2 2— 61.8 2— 47.0 2— 61.9 2— 100.0 0.3 1971 86 2 25.6 15.3 68.0 10.0 47.8 1.7 65.0 5.0 99.0 -1.0 1972 87 1 31.8 24.2 67.2 -1.2 53.6 12.1 67.4 3.7 101.1 2.1 1973 81 -7 40.2 26.4 74.7 11.2 61.4 14.6 78.0 15.7 110.5 9.3 1974 81 — 41.4 3.0 79.5 6.4 67.3 9.6 81.3 4.2 109.2 -1.2 1975 84 4 40.8 1.4 83.7 5.3 59.5 -11.6 69.9 -14.0 101.6 -7.0 1976 82 -2 44.0 7.8 87.2 4.2 65.3 9.7 81.2 16.2 103.5 1.9 1977 86 5 49.9 13.4 92.5 6.1 68.8 5.4 89.0 9.6 105.6 2.0 1978 89 3 56.0 12.2 90.4 -2.3 76.2 10.8 90.8 2.0 106.0 0.4 1979 94 6 64.8 15.7 87.3 -3.4 84.1 10.4 94.0 3.5 105.9 -0.1 1980 100 6 65.0 0.3 89.4 2.4 82.1 -2.4 92.8 -1.3 96.7 -8.7 1981 101 1 67.0 3.1 85.8 -4.0 74.8 -8.9 84.5 -8.9 90.9 -6.0 1982 101 — 74.8 11.6 87.2 1.6 79.5 6.3 86.4 2.2 91.1 0.2 1983 100 -1 84.9 13.5 83.5 -4.2 89.9 13.1 91.4 5.8 93.8 3.0 1984 99 -1 94.5 11.3 92.5 10.8 96.8 7.7 97.4 6.6 97.4 3.8 1985 100 1 100.0 5.8 100.0 8.1 100.0 3.3 100.0 2.7 100.0 2.7 1986 100 — 105.9 5.9 102.1 2.1 108.3 8.3 106.0 6.0 101.3 1.3 1987 100 — 117.8 11.2 111.6 9.3 117.4 8.4 113.3 6.9 106.6 5.2 1988 105 5 142.2 20.7 119.6 7.2 131.9 12.4 119.8 5.7 114.0 6.9 1989 104 -1 158.7 11.6 135.8 13.5 137.7 4.4 123.2 2.8 118.9 4.3 1990 104 — 158.0 -0.4 147.4 8.5 141.7 2.9 130.7 6.1 118.4 -0.4 1991 102 -2 147.7 -6.5 150.4 2.0 141.9 0.1 135.2 3.4 112.2 -5.2 1 Terms of trade is the export unit value index as a percentage of the import value index. 2 Not available.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 29 October 1992]: The Foreign Affairs Council is the forum in which Community Trade Ministers discuss external trade issues. The Commission reports regularly to the Council on progress in the GATT negotiations, and last did so on 6 October. The most recent guidance given to the Commission was at the European Council in Birmingham on 16 October, on which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reported to the House on 20 October, Official Report, column 319.