§ Sir Archy KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of the Government's textile strategy after the end of import quotas in 2005. [137349]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe UK textiles and clothing industry faces tough challenges. The way for this vibrant and innovative industry to secure the future, despite the very real competition faced from China and other low cost suppliers, is through investment, continual innovation, diversifying into new markets or products, more efficient production methods and continually raising its game to remain competitive.
My Department is working with the industry-led Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group, which aims to build a sustainable future for the UK industry by increasing its competitiveness to meet the challenges of globalisation and the impact of the final stage in the phasing out of import quotas in 2005. This work is underpinned by my Department's Manufacturing Strategy, which is helping to ensure that UK manufacturers have the right conditions for growth and sustainability to enable them to improve productivity and to move up the value chain to high skilled, knowledge intensive operations.
§ Sir Archy KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what import quotas are in place for textiles; and what assessment she has made of the effect of removing them. [137350]
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§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe European Union currently imposes import quotas on imports of certain textiles and clothing products from 19 supplier countries. Under the terms of the GATT/WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) a ten-year quota phase-out from 1995 is underway and will be completed on 31 December 2004. From 1 January 2005 quotas will only remain on textiles and clothing imports from a small number of non-WTO member countries (e.g. Vietnam, north Korea, Belorus). No assessment of the effects of quota removal specifically on the UK has been made, though an EU-wide assessment is due to be released early in 2004.
§ Sir Archy KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what tariffs are in place on the import of textiles; what assessment she has made of the future of the tariff system after 2005; and what tariffs are imposed on the import of textiles outside the EU. [137351]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienAs a result of the GATT/WTO Uruguay Trade Agreement, maximum EU tariffs on imports of textiles and clothing from 1 January 2004 will be 0 per cent. for textile raw materials, 4 per cent. for yarns, 8 per cent. for fabrics and 12 per cent. for clothing and other made-up items (such as blankets). This represents a small reduction on current rates: a maximum 4.6 per cent. for yarns, 8.2 per cent. for clothing and 12.2. per cent for clothing and made-up items. No further change in the tariff system is expected until the results of the Doha Development Agenda are implemented when we hope to see a significant reduction in global industrial tariffs. EU tariffs are among the lowest in the world in the textile and clothing sector in which tariffs of over 30 per cent. are not uncommon.
§ Sir Archy KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value of exports of textiles from(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Scotland was in each of the last 10 years in (i) cash and (ii) real terms. [137354]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienData on the UK and Scotland's exports of textiles are given in the table:
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UK and Scottish exports of textiles (excluding clothing) £million Current Prices 2000 Prices UK exports 1993 2,836 2,591 1994 3,212 2,858 1995 3,447 2,965 1996 3,654 3,193 1997 3,629 3,329 1998 3,305 3,134 1999 3,066 3,021 2000 3,027 3,027 2001 2,969 2,951 2002 2,829 2,820 Scottish exports 1993 n/a n/a 1994 n/a n/a 1995 n/a n/a 1996 290 n/a 1997 280 n/a 1998 259 n/a 1999 248 n/a 2000 252 n/a 2001 253 n/a 2002 212 n/a Note:
The textile industry is defined as Divisions 17 of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)
Sources:
HM Customs and Excise
Business Monitor MQ10, UK Trade in Goods Analysed in Terms of Industry
§ Sir Archy KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value of textile imports into the United Kingdom was in each of the last 10 years in(a) cash and (b) real terms. [137355]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienData on the UK's imports of textiles are given in the following table:
UK imports of textiles 1993–2002—trade in textiles (excluding clothing)
£million Current prices 2000 prices 1993 4,405 4,279 1994 4,819 4,431 1995 5,190 4,289 1996 5,598 4,716 1997 5,698 5,145 1998 5,538 5,359 1999 5,202 5,349 2000 5,238 5,238 2001 5,453 5,444 2002 5,415 5,710 Note:
The textiles industry is defined as Division 17 of the Standard Industrial Classification(SIC)
source:
United Kingdom Trade in goods Analysed in Terms of Industry, ONS