§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the meetings which he has held with British steel producers to discuss the December 1993 EC agreement on surplus capacity in the steel industry.
§ Mr. Sainsbury[holding answer 24 January 1994]: I and my officials maintained close contact with the industry both before and during the 17 December Industry Council. Officials briefed the British Iron and Steel Producers Association on the outcome before Christmas, and I have since written to the chairman of British Steel.
§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will make a statement on the procedures established by his Department in order to monitor the implementation of the December 1993 EC agreement on steel capacity;
(2) if he will make a statement on current progress towards the implementation of the December 1993 EC agreement on surplus capacity in the steel industry.
§ Mr. Sainsbury[holding answers 24 January 1994]: On 17 December, the Industry Council gave its assent to proposals under article 95 ECSC to allow state aid towards the costs of restructuring six steel companies in four member states.
220Wthe beginning of 1993. Since the beginning of last year, separate figures have been published on the Czech and Slovak Republics to reflect the break-up of Czechoslovakia.
The value of exports of manufactured food products —classifications 01–09 of the standard international trade classification, revision 3, which include cereals and cereal preparations—in the period from 1 January to 31 October 1993, were as follows:
£ thousands Russia 142,779 Hungary 2,657 Czech Republic 3,246 Slovak Republic 162 The value of manufactured food exports to the former Soviet Union, Hungary and former Czechoslovakia for the three previous years are set out in the table:
The monitoring of state aids approved under article 95 ECSC is primarily for the Commission, which will report to the Council; but DTI officials will maintain a watching brief on all six cases, including direct liaison with United Kingdom representatives in the relevant member states for news of their progress.