From the Secretary of State
I am convinced that in all the circumstances it would not be reasonable to treat the current request as if it had been made three years ago when the existing contract was negotiated. Equally I do not believe that it would be a correct use of the power which Parliament has enacted if my Department were to provide an outright subsidy by giving CEC on the retrospective basis requested. To do so would, moreover, be at odds with the basis on which we have defended it in
GATT and other international fora critical of such schemes.
I am copying this letter to the recipients of his.
Your sincerely, feliz
пр
JOHN BIFFEN
(Approved by the Secretary of State and signed in his absence.)
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