asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will now make a statement on his discussions about footwear with the three COMECON countries, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania.

These discussions have now been completed. We announced on 23rd May that the countries concerned have undertaken that their exports to the United Kingdom in 1975 of men's leather footwear—excluding sandals—will be at a level between 5 and 10 per cent. below that of comparable exports in 1974. This represents a decline of some 300,000 pairs. The situation will be reviewed later in the year; meanwhile imports will be closely watched.