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Footwear

Volume 923: debated on Monday 20 December 1976

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40.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps he intends to take over the import of shoes into the United Kingdom, bearing in mind that the period January to June 1976 shows an increased share of the total market of almost 6 per cent.

Steps have already been taken to restrain those imports which raise the most serious problems for the footwear industry, but we are ready to consider what further action might be necessary. But I would point out that about three-quarters of the increase was accounted for by imports of rubber, plastic and textile footwear from the Far East. This in turn reflected sharp increase in demand for such footwear which the United Kingdom industry was unable to meet to any substantial extent.