HC Deb 04 February 2002 vol 379 c644W
Mr. Reed

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is her Department's policy(a) to adhere to the timetable agreed at the Uruguay Round for the phasing out of MFA restrictions and (b) not to accelerate the liberalisation process. [33274]

Ms Hewitt

The Government are fully committed to the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) to phase out Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) import restrictions. We also fully support Commissioner Lamy's bilateral market access initiative offering liberalisation of textile and clothing trade with the EU over and above that required in the ATC in return for improved access to the textile and clothing markets of supplier countries.