Skip to main content

Trade And Commerce

Volume 439: debated on Thursday 3 July 1947

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

Furnace Blacks

21.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans are being made in this country, or are contemplated, for producing furnace blacks of equal quality to channel blacks by the Statex K method.

I am not aware of any plans for making carbon black in this country by the Statex K method, or that it has yet been proved whether this method produces blacks of equal quality to channel blacks. Trial parcels are now being imported so that its qualities may be tested.

Rubber (Usa Import Restrictions)

23.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he is making to the Government of the U.S.A. for the removal of the partial restrictions imposed on the use of natural rubber in that country with a view to securing more employment and better wage conditions in our Colonies and more dollar exchange for the Empire.

This matter is being raised at the current session of the Rubber Study Group in Paris.

Is it not a fact that this synthetic rubber industry is quite uneconomic? Is not one of its objects to try to keep down the price of natural rubber, often below the cost of production in the Colonies?

I think that that is a question which ought to be addressed to the Government of the United States of America, and not to this one.

Soap Gift (Import Licence)

24.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that schoolboys in England co-operatively correspond in the name of their schools, with schoolboys in New-Zealand; that the boys of a New Zealand school have sent to an English school a case of toilet soap; that the soap arrived at a London dock, but cannot be delivered because of import restrictions; and whether he will consummate this gesture of friendship from New Zealand by making the soap available to these boys, or to what alternative use he proposes putting it.

The only case of which I am aware concerns the Senior Boys' School, Newton-le-Willows, and the necessary licence was sent to the school six weeks ago.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman mean by his answer that an absolutely free gift requires an importation licence? Is he aware that the application form sent to the school contains questions that boys cannot answer, namely, who will pay the overseas supplier, the trade description of the goods, the value of the goods, the cost of the insurance and freight, and other questions of that kind? Should not these free gifts be given to these boys just in the same way as free gifts are given to other people?

They were not incapable of answering the questions because they sent the application in good form to the Department, and the licence was issued thereon.

Since when has soap been an acceptable gift in boys' schools?

Timber (Levy)

25.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the amount of the levy per standard, added to the market price of timber by his Department; why this levy is made; and whether he will consider taking early steps to reduce the amount of the levy in order to reduce the cost of house building.

The amount of the levy varies for different descriptions of softwood, but for most it is £19 15s. per standard. The recent increase in timber selling prices, which was made necessary by the increased cost of imported timber, would have resulted in a windfall profit to merchants on the resale of timber they had in stock at the time of the increase. The levy, which is charged only on timber which merchants had bought from the Timber Control at the lower prices previously prevailing, is intended to withdraw this windfall profit; it is not added to the present price of timber, nor would any reduction in it reduce the cost of building.

Clothing Coupons

26.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he proposes to issue clothing coupons of the current issue in exchange for any of the 1945–46 issue which are not used by 1st November.

Does not the right hon. and learned Gentleman think that his course will probably lead to some extravagance in the use of coupons, if they are to become invalid? Would it not lead in the end to greater economy if the coupons were given a new lease of life?

I should have thought that that would lead to less economy, because they would be likely to be used over a longer period.

Flannel Trousers

27.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the shortage of grey flannel or other lightweight long trousers is causing serious concern; what is the cause of this shortage; and if he will give an assurance that no summer weight long trousers will be exported until adequate supplies are available for the home market.

This shortage is due to the increased demand brought about by demobilisation, while cloth production, especially of worsted flannel is still considerably below the prewar level, though it is gradually increasing. Export licences are not normally issued for utility garments, which represent about 80 per cent. of the total production; but the urgent need to increase textile exports makes it necessary to allow non-utility garments to be freely exported.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that what people want is trousers and not just his promises? Does he remember that old schoolboy rhyme about the highwayman who pointed his pistol and demanded,

"Your money or your life,
Your trousers or your wife"?
Is it not a fact that under this Government the British people are suffering a crushing burden of taxation, and that the Government are taking not only their money but their trousers as well?

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that this worsted material is far too heavy, and does not really replace flannel, and that if this shortage goes on, we shall have to wear shorts?

Surgical Footwear Worker (Release From Army)

30.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why his Department has refused to sponsor the release under Class B of 14929601 Private G. Bullock, whose services in the manufacture of surgical footwear are urgently required.

Private Bullock was little more than an apprentice when he joined the Forces, at the age of 18 years, in February, 1945. He cannot be regarded as having acquired the high degree of skill and experience which alone would justify me in asking for his release.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the Board of Trade Footwear Controllers at Leicester and Kettering have both recommended the release of this young man, that this young man is in medical category B 7, that he has been in the Army 28 months, that he was employed on very essential work in the manufacture of surgical boots, and that unless he is released now all the people employed in that small concern producing urgently required materials will become unemployed?

No, I cannot confirm all those details, but I am quite aware of the circumstances, and, in exercising my judgment on the case, I have decided that it is not such as would entitle me to put it forward.

In view of the recommendations put forward by the Footwear Controllers, will the right hon. and learned Gentleman look at the matter again, to see whether he can relax some of the red tape?

When the right hon. and learned Gentleman says that this young man is too young to have acquired skill, has he any reason to think he has not acquired skill, or does he necessarily assume that nobody young can have skill?

A certain period of time -requires to elapse before the necessary skill can be acquired in a trade such as this.

Token Imports (Dollar Expenditure)

31.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what dollar expenditure has been incurred on token imports of manufactured goods since their admission began last year; and what dollar expenditure on such goods is proposed during the current year.

Import licences were issued in respect of 1946 under the token import scheme for goods from Canada valued at £392,000 and from the U.S.A. at £178,000. I do not expect that dollar expenditure on token imports in the current year will greatly exceed these figures.

Probably not to any material extent, because they amount to a very small sum anyway.

Travel Association Publications (Dorset)

32.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he is aware that in the recent publications of the British Travel Association, particularly "The British Isles" and "Come to Britain" pamphlet No. 4, South-West England, there is no reference to the county of Dorset; and if he will ensure that this omission is rectified.

I am bringing the hon. Member's suggestion to the attention of the British Tourist and Holidays Board.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman do that urgently, so that the attention of tourists coming to England this summer can be drawn to the attractions and beauty of this county, which has been missed out?

Arising out of the original answer, why in the world was Dorset ever put in the South-West of England?

Decorated Pottery

33.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now permit some decoration on domestic pottery.

No, Sir. The output of decorated pottery is limited by the size of the decorating labour force, and I am afraid that in present circumstances we cannot afford the loss of exports which would result from allowing its manufacture for sale on the home market.

If it is impossible to allow any decoration, will my right hon. Friend consider the possibility of producing some utility brands at least, in different colours, because the failure to have either decoration or colour does force up to fantastic heights the price of second-hand china?

British Institute Of Management (Director)

34.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he anticipates that the director of the British Institute of Management will be appointed.

The appointment of a director is a matter for the Council of the Institute, and I am sure that they are alive to the importance of filling the post as soon as possible.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that after many months of delay during the presentation of the report and the appointment of the Council, there has now been something like six months' delay during which the Council has done nothing at all; and are we really proposing to do something for British manufacturers, or is this merely the putting up of a facade?

Quantity.Country of Manufacture.Price.Delivery.Intended Use.
(1) Cotton piece goods (loom state).64,000,000Japan6·96–17·93 pence per yd. f.o.b.Japanese port.Nearly 26,000,000 yds. have been landed in U.K., 13,000,000 yds. have been shipped; balance to be shipped soon.For finishing and re-export to Burma and certain Colonial territories
(2) Silk and silk and rayon mixture piece goods.800,000 yds.Germany7s.6d.-8s.6d. per yd. to U.K. purchaser.About 100,000 yds. have been delivered. Delivery of balance not yet known.One-third for home con-sumption two - thirds for export (including export in made-up form).
(3) Cotton yarnAbout 500 tons.Germany19 pence per lb. for processing (raw cotton sup-supplied by U.K.).334 tons delivered; balance to be delivered by end of year.Manufacture of lace for export.
(4) Linen yarn75 metric tons.Germany5s. 11¼ 10s. 5d. per kilo, f.o.b.All delivered.Weaving for export.

The above goods have been, or are being, re-sold to United Kingdom manu-

I do not agree with the hon. Member that the Council has done nothing at all. It has done a great deal of preliminary work, of which there is much to be done

Foreign Textile Goods

37.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total quantity of textile goods, cotton, wool, rayon and linen, respectively, for which orders have been placed with foreign countries; the names of such countries with respective quantities and prices; the amounts which have already been delivered; when the balance of deliveries may be expected; what quantity of such goods will be made available for home consumption and what further orders are contemplated.

As the answer is long and contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the statement:

Purchases of textiles by the Board of Trade over the last 12 months have been as follow:

facturers and traders at prices which cover the costs to the Board of Trade.

British Overseas Cottons Ltd. have recently purchased, with the approval of the Board of Trade, 6,000,000 metres of loom-state cotton piece goods in the Russian Zone of Germany at prices ranging between 1s. 7d. and 3s. 6d. per metre f.o.b. Baltic port. These goods are intended for the home market. Shipment will begin in a few weeks' time. Further purchases of German and Japanese cotton piece goods are under consideration. Some facilities have also been provided for the importation on private account under the sponsorship of Government Departments of classes of textile goods like tyre fabrics, cement bags and belting duck which are urgently needed here, or in accordance with more general arrangements made for import for re-export, token imports, and imports from countries whose economies have been disrupted by the war.

Ladies' Walking Shoes

36.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the shortage of ladies' walking shoes; and whether any increase in supplies is contemplated.

The shortage of certain types of light soled shoes is due to the world scarcity of particular types of leather. There are plentiful supplies of heavier types of walking shoes, though I appreciate that these may not always be as acceptable to ladies.