asked the President of the Board of Trade why the export of potatoes to Eastern Germany is not permitted

:There are no restrictions in this country on the export of potatoes to Eastern Germany.

:Would the right hon. Gentleman make that information available to the Press and to the agricultural industry, because it is generally believed that there is a prohibition in regard to this trade?

I think that the answer which I have given today to this Question will receive publicity.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many British furniture manufacturers have now adopted the British Standards Institution Kite mark in reference to their production of items of household furniture

:The British Standards Institution informs me that it has so far licensed 207 manufacturers to apply the Kite mark to their furniture.

:In view of the assurance given by the Minister when we changed from the Utility Scheme to the D Scheme that we had no reason to assume that the standard of furniture would go down, may I ask the Minister what he is doing at present to put that into operation by seeing that every manufacturer of furniture adopts the Kite mark?

:I am satisfied that what I said in that debate has been carried out. I never said that all manufacturers would apply the Kite mark; what I said was that it would be the public who would effectively determine this. The public can now obtain furniture of various styles with the Kite mark if it so desires.

May I press the hon. and learned Gentleman on this matter? Could he tell us what proportion of the furniture manufacturers have applied this mark? Is he not aware that before the war there was a great deal of unsatisfactory and shoddy work produced which consumers could not detect in the first instance? Is it not agreed that consumers need protection in this matter?

:I cannot tell the right hon. Gentleman the proportion, and indeed mere figures of manufacturers would be a little misleading on account of the different sizes of the various concerns, but some of the large manufacturers are applying the mark. The whole House shares the desire that the public should not buy shoddy furniture but, as the public is now able to obtain furniture of the various types with the Kite mark if it so desires, I do not share the view that the public is incapable now of satisfying its wants either by obtaining furniture with this mark or by going to retailers on whom it can rely.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what recent steps he has taken to increase the export of Scottish herring for consumption in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

I have been asked to reply.

During 1953 approximately 169,000 barrels of cured herring were exported to Russia, as compared to 162,000 in 1952. The Herring Industry Board is at present negotiating for the sale of rough packed herring from the winter catch. The Government will do everything in their power to assist the Board to promote further sales of herring to Russia.

:Is the Minister aware that Scots herring continue to be more and more popular amongst the Red Army and that the consumption is increasing; and will he give an assurance that herring will not be banned as a strategic material?

I think the best answer is that I hope that the hon. Gentleman is not mixing up cured herring and red herring.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to ensure that Britain is adequately represented at the forthcoming Damascus Trade Fair

:In accordance with normal practice, the Damascus Fair has been brought to the attention of British industry and I understand that a number of firms intend to exhibit. The question of Government participation is under consideration.

:May I ask the Minister if he will give this matter favourable consideration, because our commercial prestige in the Middle East will depend a good deal on what we make of the opportunity presented by this fair, and there is some anxiety as to whether we are being adequately represented?

I agree on the importance of this question, and I am hoping to receive the advice of the ExhibitionsAdvisory Committee on this matter early next month.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has seen the official pronouncement of the Soviet Minister of Foreign Trade about proposals to import £400 million-worth of equipment from the United Kingdom; and if, following the list of items specified in that statement, he is in a position to make any estimate of the proportion of this figure represented by items controlled on strategic grounds

:Yes, Sir, and my right hon. Friend has studied it with much interest. The list is not sufficiently specific for me to calculate exactly how much of the business proposed would be in items subject to strategic controls. But, as a very rough estimate, I should think that rather less than half of the business, perhaps up to a value of 2,000 million roubles, would be found to be free from these controls. At the official rate of exchange, which the right hon. Gentleman has used, this would amount to some £175 or £180 million.

:Would the right hon. Gentleman make it his business to have discussions with the British businessmen who have been to Moscow, I think with the Government's approval, and have now returned? Following those discussions, will he look at the strategic list to make sure that, whilst we have complete control over all goods of military value, the list is pruned of any goods that can now be quite safely supplied?

We are very much looking forward to meeting these businessmen on their return and discussing their experiences with them. So far it seems to have been a most useful visit. As regards the second part of the right hon. Gentleman's question, the strategic list is under frequent consideration by the Government.

:On a point of order. Questions No. 84 and No. 85, in my name, and Question No. 82 in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Kirkdale (Mr. Keenan) were put down for answer today by the right hon. Gentleman as representing the Board of Trade. We heard this morning that he had transferred them from himself to himself in another capacity, with the result that we do not get an answer orally today. In view of the fact that the right hon. Gentleman is obviously here, and thatby statute both the Ministry of Materials and the Board of Trade are jointly responsible for these Questions, would it not have been possible for the right hon. Gentleman, while here, to have answered those Questions?

That is a little too complicated for me. I cannot follow it.