Reference.
CONFIDENTIAL
Enter.
Mr Dodds (Commodities Department)
f
BRITISH TEXTILE POLICY
1.
This is to confirm my oral message that we agreed with the suggestion in paragraph 2 of your minute of 22 November that the brief for 'the EPC discussion of the DTI's paper should concentrate on strong opposition to the DTI proposals as such and that we have no comments on your draft.
Since
2.
I have (seen a copy of Mr Ridley's submission and enclosures. The draft letter for Mr Davies to send to the AE Committee argues that to retain quotas while going ahead with the planned introduction of the tariff will be to move nearer to the EEC's pattern of arrangements; but that the EEC's duty-free GPS quotas are not significant. This is an argument we shall have strongly to rebut. I take it that we shall have an opportunity to do this if (as one supposes all too probable) we lose the present battle. The point
in paragraph 3 of Mr Laird's minute to you of 22 November has a validity that goes well beyond the Hong Kong context. I presume there is no danger of DTI successfully arguing, if they win the day in EPC, that the matter is closed.
Ківши
K FX Burns
Trade Policy Department
25%
di
24 November 1971
Copies to:-
Hong Kong Department
South Asian Department EID(1)
Mr Wood (Legal Advisers) Economists Department
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 51
20 NOV 1971
1~ KK qs vo/2
CONFIDENTIAL
DD 896639 140609 500M 7/7! GM 3643/2