asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider the allocation of clothing coupons for overalls, etc., to flour confectioners so as to bring them in line with the allocation for bread bakers, in view of the fact that all bakehouse work involves heavy wear and tear on clothing?

Trade unions representing the workers referred to by my hon. Friend should submit their case for supplementary coupons for the present rationing period to the Board of Trade, through the Trades Union Congress, when I shall be very glad to consider it.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this matter has been submitted to the Trades Union Congress and that no satisfaction has been obtained? Does he realise that these overalls are necessary in the work of preparing food?

I shall be very glad to look at any argument which my hon. Friend or the trade unions representing these men put up.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has considered the claim of the Clyde Boilermakers Shop Stewards' Association for an increase of extra clothing coupons; and has he any statement to make?

I shall be glad to give full consideration to any claim that trade unions representing shipbuilding workers may put to me through the Trades Union Congress for the present rationing period.

Am I to take it that the right hon. Gentleman recommends the representatives of the men to make applications through their various trade unions, and that such applications will receive his fullest consideration?

Yes, Sir. We are always very glad to give full consideration to any application so submitted; we are now just starting a new rationing period, in which supplementary coupons may be adjusted.

Have any representations been made in the past by the unions representing these men?

Yes, certainly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of certain advertisements which have appeared in trade and other papers whereby an endeavour is being made to acquire small shops as going concerns at realisation prices; and, since the practice of profiting by distressed circumstances created by the war is undesirable, whether he will take steps to investigate these matters and find an alternative solution to the difficulties of those traders and small businesses which are adversely affected by reason of their personnel being called to the services?

I am aware of the practice to which my hon. Friend refers, and I am considering an amendment of the provisions of the Location of Retail Businesses Order accordingly.

While appreciating what my right hon. Friend has said, may I ask whether he will take immediate steps to see that small businesses are not absorbed by larger concerns? Any delay must inevitably lead to their being ruined and never being able to get into business again.

Yes, Sir. I hope very shortly that the amendment to which I refer may be able to be put into effect.

Will the Minister give consideration to the issue of licences to small businesses which are closed down in consequence of the war, so that they may have priority in re-establishing themselves after the war?

That is a separate point, but perhaps the hon. Member will put it on the Paper.

It is a very good suggestion.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he will give a list of the nucleus firms in the toy trade in this country;

It would be contrary to the interests of public security to publish the names of nucleus and closed firms in any industry. The names are, however, given on request, and in confidence, to representative trade associations. I am sending to my hon. Friend, for his confidential information, a list of nucleus toy firms.

Is there any reason why individual traders, who will be very badly affected by these closing Orders, might not have the information, assuming, for example, that they are not members of any trading associations?

It is important, for the reason that I have suggested, to keep this information within as narrow a circle as possible. I am sure that my hon. Friend will appreciate that the enemy would like to know the details about our concentration of industry.

Is it seriously suggested that the toy industry is of strategic importance?

No, Sir, but the reason why we are carrying out concentration in this and other industries is in order to put to a strategical purpose premises, machinery and labour, previously used for non-strategical purposes, for war production and the storage of war material. It is not desirable to tell the enemy about those matters.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that there is grave anxiety among people whose small businesses have been closed? Surely there is no reason why a list should not be given in confidence to such individual firms of firms which have been closed, or even made nucleus firms, so that they can get into touch with each other?

There is no difficulty about getting into touch with other firms for the purpose of combining.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to ensure that more adequate supplies of pottery will be made available to the public at reasonable prices?

An Order has been made under which the manufacture of domestic pottery is subject to licence and, by directions issued yesterday under the Order, production for the home market is restricted to certain simple types of plain white, light ivory and brown pottery. Exports have been reduced by 20 per cent. since 1st May, and a further cut of 20 per cent. will be imposed as from 1st August. By these means, supplies for the home market will be substantially increased. On the recommendation of the Central Price Regulation Committee, I made an Order yesterday regulating the distributors' margins for all domestic pottery and fixing maximum retail prices for certain essential articles which will be marked in three qualities according to their grade. Manufacturers' maximum prices have also been fixed.

Has the right hon. Gentleman taken steps to ensure that labour will be left in the Potteries to comply with the Orders?

I hope so, but there is great competition for labour at present.

When will a supply of these utility articles be available to the public, and what steps have been taken to control prices until they are available?

Prices are controlled as from now on. A schedule of prices is attached to the Order which I signed yesterday. So far as production is concerned, we are pushing forward as fast as we can.

Will the Order fixing the prices be made public?

Certainly.

Is it necessary to restrict the export of pottery in order to ensure sufficient for the home market?

Yes, Sir. I said that the home market must take precedence over the export market for this purpose.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in the selection of the personnel of the Central Committee of Export Groups, he has had consultation with local chambers of commerce and other representative trade organisations; whether Birmingham and the Midland area, with its exporting activity in normal times and its capacity for the production of competitive goods after the war, is represented on this committee; and whether he proposes to publish the terms of reference of the Board of Trade to the Central Committee of Export Groups?

The members of the Central Committee of Export Groups have been selected for their personal ability and their wide experience of industry and export trade, and not as representatives of particular industries. There was, therefore, no question of consulting trade organisations. The terms of reference of the Committee were stated in the reply which I gave on 19th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Govan (Mr. Neil Maclean).

Does not my right hon. Friend think that a large industrial area like the Midlands and Birmingham, where alone there are 1,200 separate industries, should have some representation?

If we considered one area, we should have to consider many others, and it was felt to be convenient in this case that the appropriate export groups should be the channel of communication. The Birmingham trades, like any others, will be able to make their views known through their industrial channels.

Have we not suffered enough in the past from Birmingham's opinion on these things?

Are the merchants represented on this export group?

I gave the list the other clay; perhaps my hon. and gallant Friend will look it up.