§ 6. Mr. BETTERTONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the fact that hand-made laces from China are being exported to Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and that these goods are made under such conditions as to labour that it is quite impossible for the makers of machine-made laces in Nottingham to compete therewith; whether he is aware that the export of Chinese hand-made laces to Australia and New Zealand in creased from £1,000 in 1913 to £77,000 in 1917, and to the United Kingdom from £3,300 in 1913 to £18,000 in 1917; and whether he will state upon what grounds hand-made laces are allowed to be freely imported without licence, and why they should not be included in the import ration Regulations?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThe Imports Consultative Council did not think the importation of hand-made lace by reason either of the nature or the quantity of the goods imported was calculated to do harm to any similar industry established in this country, and from this view I do not at present see any reason to differ.