74
Assistants:
Hong Kong Department
South Asia Department EID (1)
TPD
Legal Adviser (Mr Wood)
Economists Department (Mrs Maccoll)
BRITISH TEXTILE POLICY
This subject is to come to the EPC on 24 November and we expect from the DTI a copy of their EPC paper some time this evening. It seems likely, however, that this will broadly follow the lines of the attached draft letter prepared for the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. You will see from the letter that DTI Ministers are likely to advocate a continuation of the quotas and the introduction of tariffs as our policy for 1972.
2.
The comments made by Mr Royle at a meeting we had with him on 18 November (which he subsequently repeated to Mr Godber) that there is no reason on European grounds for anticipating in 1972 what we shall need to do in 1973 on acceding to the EEC, coupled with the narrow approach now likely by the DTI focuses what should be the FCO position at the FPC meeting, namely, to strongly oppose the DTI suggestions. It also means that there would be little advantage in trying to broaden ministerial discussion on what type of textile policy might be more suitable for the UK when it becomes a member of the Ten.
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3. In view of this slight change of emphasis, we have tried to anticipate the DTI EPC paper by drafting the attached submission for Mr Godber (he does not wish speaking notes; we shall attach a background note - on the lines discussed in Mr Hale's minute and supporting statistical annexes) on which I should be grateful for any comments by 10 am on 23 November; as the draft does not significantly differ from that sent by Mr Hale under cover of his minute of 8 November
I shall assume if I do not hear from you to the contrary by that time that you have no further comments to make.
Ahm
J Dodds
Commodities Dept. G68A/G
G114
22 November 1971
CONFIDENTIAL
DD 896639 140609 500M 7/71 GM 3643/2
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