TNAG-0633-FCO40-781-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1977 — Page 93

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SUTTON ADDED THAT THERE WOULD NO DOUBT BE A NUMBER OF OTHER

UNILATERAL DECLARATIONS, FROM OTHER IMPORTERS AS WELL AS FROM EXPORTERS. THIS COULD NOT BE PREVENTED AND MIGHT EVEN BE SALITARY,

THOUGH IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT NOT TO GET DRAWN INTO ANY DEDA 3. THE FRENCH, WITHOUT SPECIFICALLY WITHDRAWING THEIR EARLIER

EXPRESSIONS OF DOUBT ON PARTS OF THE PROTOCOL DRAFT, ANNOUNCED THAT THEY COULD IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES GO ALONG WITH IT. THEY WERE ALSO VERY CONTENT WITH SUTTON'S OUTLINE OF THE COMMISSION'S

PROPOSED INTERVENTION. THE UK RECALLED THEIR OVERALL RESERVE ON THE DRAFT PROTOCOL PENDING ITS SUBMISSION TO MINISTERS AND

PRESSED THE COMMISSION TO SAY NOTHING THAT MIGHT IN ANY WAY BE

TAKEN AS PRE' JUDGING THE COUNCIL'S DECISION ON THE OVERALL

PACKAGE. THE DUTCH FOUND NO DIFFICULTIES WITH EITHER OF THE TEXTS

AND FELT THAT THE TOUGHNESS OF SUTTON'S POINT (D) OUGHT TO BE

SOFTENED BY THE ADDITION OF SOME EXPRESSION OF HOPE AND EVEN

CONFIDENCE ON THE COMMISSION'S PART THAT THE COUNCIL ON THE 23TH

WOULD FIND THE PACKAGE ACCEPTABLE. NO-ONE ELSE SPOKE, BUT PARTLY AS A RESULT OF THIS WELL MEANT DUTCH INTERVENTION WE HAD MUCH

DIFFICULTY IN DISSUADING SUTTON FROM ADDING TO HIS TEXT AN AFFIRM-

ATION OF THE COMMISSION'S VIEW THAT THE PACKAGE WAS A GOOD ONE

AND OF THEIR HOPE AND BELIEF THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD ENDORSE

IT - WHICH SUTTON CLAIMED DAVIGNON HAD IN ANY CASE INSTRUCTED HIM

FIRMLY TO SAY. 4.

MY TWO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TELEGRAMS CONTAIN RESPECTIVELY THE BEST AVAILABLE TEXT OF SUTTON'S INTERVENTION AND AN OUTLINE REPORT OF THE DISCUSSION IN TEXTILES COMMITTEE.

5.

THE COMMISSION HAVE JUST CALLED A FURTHER 113 COMMITTEE MEETING FOR THIS EVENING PRESUMABLY TO DISCUSS THE HANDLING OF THE DECISIONS RELATING TO THE FUTURE OF THE TSB WHICH LONG THIS MORNING ASKED MEMBERS OF THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER URGENTLY (SEE MY SECOND IFT).

FCO PLEASE ADVANCE TO:

FCO- BUTLER, JENKINS,

JENKINS, STERN

DOI- RIDLEY, HUDSON, MISS LOWNE, FARRY

DOT- GRAY, ABRAMSON, HELLINGS, MISS MACFARLENE

CAB- FRANKLIN, HAINS

ODM- BUIST, BAXTER

TSY-MICHELL

BOTTOMLEY

FRAME EXTERNAL

FRAME ECONOMIC

EID (E)

HK & GD MR MURRAY

(ADVANCED AS REQUESTED]

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