asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the shortage of supplies of knitting wool in shops in South Devon; to what this shortage is attributed; and what steps he proposes to take to have it remedied in the near future.

There is a general shortage of knitting wools and I have no information to suggest that the shortage is greater in South Devonshire than elsewhere. Output during 1946 was about 16 per cent greater than in 1945, but there was an unavoidable loss during the fuel crisis early this year. Production is now increasing, and I hope the position will improve during the next few months.