§ MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the necessity of having a large supply of acetone always available in the United Kingdom for the manufacture of cordite in the event of a great war, he will take into consideration the fact that there are no statistics available at the Board of Trade as to the imports of acetone and the dependence of this country on the United States and Germany; and whether he will give directions for the matter to be carefully watched so that exact statistics may be available at a future date.
(Answered by Mr. Kearley.) The necessity of securing a sufficient supply of 900 raw material for the manufacture of cordite is a matter which concerns the War Office and the Admiralty, who are doubtless fully alive to the matter. The publication of the statistics to which the hon. Member refers would serve no useful purpose.