asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any statement to make with reference to action to be taken on the memorandum addressed to him by the Council of the Trade and Technical Press, representing more than 200 trade and technical journals, with regard to the difficulties with which publishers are contending and the importance of removing these in the interests of industrial revival.

I am glad to be able to inform the hon. Member that, although supplies of paper are still extremely short, the Department of Overseas Trade has recently arranged for a substantial increase in the ration of paper for technical journals that are solely for export. I am sending the hon. Member, for his information, a copy of my predecessor's reply to the Council of the Trade and Technical Press on those points in their memorandum which are the concern of my Department.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will reduce the number of coupons at present necessary for the purchase of uniforms for the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

I shall shortly be reviewing the coupon arrangements for all civilian uniform wearers in 1945–46, and I will bear in mind my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that shops in Southern Ireland are fully stocked with kitchen equipment and household requirements such as electric fires, kettles and other goods urgently needed in this country which have been imported into Southern Ireland from England; and will he prohibit the further export to Southern Ireland of goods urgently needed in this country.

I am making enquiries about the statement contained in my hon. Friend's Question, but recorded exports from the United Kingdom to Eire in 1944 of most of the types of goods to which my hon. Friend refers are a very small fraction of the corresponding figures in pre-war years.

Does my right hon. Friend really think that our own people should go short of these urgently needed goods for the home while there is a surplus in Southern Ireland?

I am making inquiries. Until I have done so I would not at all accept what my hon. Friend says.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the shortage of fruit preserving jars and that wholesale merchants are unable to obtain delivery from the glass manufacturers in time for the jam making and bottling season commencing next month; and what steps he proposes to remedy this deficiency.

Owing to the heavy demand for glass containers for food, drink and medicine during the war and the shortage of labour in the glass container industry, there has been some fall in the production of fruit preserving jars. My right hon. and gallant Friend, the Minister of Food, has, however, been able to arrange for adequate supplies of closures which enable ordinary jam jars to be used satisfactorily for bottling fruit.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are very many jam jars if we could only get the fruit and the sugar?

That question should be addressed to my right hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Ministry of Supply depot at Palmerston, Barry, has yet been declared surplus; and whether steps have been taken to allocate it to a new industry, particularly to the firm whose name has been mentioned to him, which is willing to extend the present structure and employ 400 men.

The Ministry of Supply depot at Palmerston is being made available to assist the promotion of civilian industry in that area; and various applicants, including the one which my hon. Friend has in mind, are being considered.