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the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget would be applied to this group of industries. Kr Leven said that the Government was still considering this matter, but he thought that if there was to be selectivity in such a scheme, it would probably be by region rather than by industry.
e.
Footwear Industry Steering Group
Hr Comerford asked whether the Footwear Industry Steering Group which was currently examining the future of the industry would be put on a permanent basis, and whether DOI would be making any financial contribution to the industry. Mr Ridley said that the Steering Group was still in its early days, but that if the Group recommended that it should continue on a permanent basis or that there should be, say, Industry Act assistance, such recommendations would be sympatheti- cally considered.
î. Planning Agreements
Mr MacGougen asked about the likelihood of planning agreements being mode in the textile, clothing, footwear industries. Hr Lever said that this should be taken up with the appropriate departments after the Industry Bill had become law. This clearly could not be part of the urgent measures which the Government
wished to introduce before the Summer Recess.
Surveillance Licensing
Mr Pursey said that the Committee attached importance to the extension of surveillance licensing to clothing, made-ups, knitwear and footwear. lir Lover said that the Government was looking at this.
3.
CONCLUSION
As far as Summing up, Mr Lever said that the memorandum was a valuable paper. import restrictions were concerned, he was prepared to help provided that this was compatible with the Government's international obligations. As yet he had seen no evidence to justify recommending to his colleagues any specific import restrictions other than those where efforts were already being made to obtain voluntary agreements through the MFA etc. If the TUC committee could provide evidence of any sudden onrush of imports in any particular area, he would be happy to act, but so far he had not been provided with this evidence. TUC could provide evidence of dumping or reasonable grounds for investigating
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