§ 111. Mr. F. ROBERTSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the importation of paper and paper-making materials is still forbidden or restricted; whether the restriction of the supply of 754 paper is hampering employment in the book and printing industries of this country; and whether, in view of the need for a resumption of the full activity of these industries in order to promote education and to permit the large class of authors to get on with their work, he will take steps to remove all restrictions on the importation of paper and paper-making materials?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe importation of paper and paper-making materials is only permitted under licence. The allowable import has been increased by 50 p.c. since the 1st January. The present supplies of paper are estimated to be only at the rate of about one-half of pre-war supply, thus it is inevitable that the output in the book and printing industries named is on a diminished scale. My right hon. Friend is fully alive to the desirability of a resumption of full activity in these industries, and is at present considering what steps are appropriate to be taken in regard to the importation of paper and paper-making materials.