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to remove. The advance notice of the change was the same for our overseas suppliers as for our domestic industry and we would not agree that it placed any section of either at an especial disadvantage in respect of timing which would justify any postponement. Furthermore, I must repeat that we would not regard a continuation of the existing quota restrictions beyond the end of this year as a course which would have a neutral effect as between the competing interests involved since it would continue a system of protection which we must now view as harmful to the future efficiency of the UK industry. We do not therefore believe that these considerations would justify a postponement of the introduction of the tariff on 1 January 1972.
5.
In (c) and (d) you suggest that the circumstances in which the decision to impose a tariff and dispense with quotas from
1 January 1972 was taken in 1969 have been significantly changed by the revival of the United Kingdom application to join the EEC. In fact, Ministers had very much in mind at the time of the original decision the possibility of eventual UK entry into the EEC, and took this factor into account. In addition, however, the decision was reconsidered last year after the change of government and reaffirmed in full knowledge of the implications of the resumption of negotiations with the Community. If and when the United Kingdom joins the EEC, then we shall expect to adopt the Community's import policy in respect of trade in textiles. It is not possible to say at what stage of transition the change to a different import policy would be accomplished, but we doubt whether this would be immediately on entry. In other words, we expect that our policy of tariff and no quota restrictions on imports of cotton textiles will run for at least two years from 1 January 1972 on the most optimistic assessment of the timetable for possible UK entry into the EEC. Equally, it is not possible now to forecast what form the Common Commercial Policy will take at the time when we come to align with it. For one thing, the Long Term Arrangement on Cotton Textiles will come up for renewal in the intervening period and if by then we are members of the EEC, we would of course have a say in the Community's policy towards it. If the Community maintain quota restrictions these are likely to be different in a number of respects from those currently operated by the UK. We therefore would not agree that alignment with EEC policy in the event of our joining would necessarily be easier if we decided to postpone the introduction of the CPA tariff on 1 January 1972. In our view, the prospect of entry into the EEC makes the problem of improving the efficiency of the UK industry one of greater immediacy and strengthens the need for the adoption of policies directed towards this end.
6.
In paragraphs (g) and (h) you put forward the view that the imposition of the tariff without decalage represents unfair discrimination against exporters of cotton textiles and that
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