§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with her European Union counterparts on reducing tariffs on(a) agriculture and (b) textiles in the context of World Trade Organisation negotiations. [5511]
§ Nigel GriffithsThe Department is working closely with the European Commission to ensure that a new WTO trade round includes negotiations on industrial tariffs, including textile tariffs, aimed at liberalising and where possible eliminating duty rates on all industrial products. We are also working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to influence the European Commission's position at the on-going agriculture negotiations in Geneva, including discussions on tariffs.