DSR 11 (Revised)
DRAFT:
minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note
FROM:
J A SHEPHERD
DEPARTMENT: ESTE)
TEL. NO:
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
TO:
Top Secret
A J Lane Esq
Secret
ITP
Confidential
Restricted
Department of Trade and Industry
TYPE: Draft/Final 14-
Reference
Your Reference
Copies to:
Unclassified
PRIVACY MARKING
CAVEAT..
..In Confidence
SUBJECT:
1. At our meeting with Rex Browning on 7 February, I
undertook to let you have our suggestions on how we might
expand the scope of the DTI position paper with a view to
reducing to a minimum the areas requiring discussion at
EQS.
Enclosures-flag(s)...........
2. The main paper usefully sets out the implications for
the UK economy and our trading interests of implementing
Silberston's recommendations. But I believe that in
certain respects its analysis does not go far enough.
While I agree it is right to define clearly a UK economic
interest, our objectives cannot be set against that test
alone. As Rex Browning brought out, given that there are
now 95 low cost suppliers, many in the third world, there
needs to be further consideration of how an MFA renewal
in some form would fit in with other aspects of our
policy towards developing countries, both the LDCs and
the NICS and, in view of its enormous potential as a
textile clothing producer, China.