76. Major BARNESasked the President of the Board of Trade whether industries, such as the dye trade, which require to be shielded from foreign competition, will be carried on under Government control, to ensure that the protection given is to the public interest; whether there will be any restriction on the amount of interest that may be paid on the actual capital invested; if so, what the restriction will be; and to what purpose net profits in excess of those required for the payment of such interest will be put?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe policy respecting the dye industry is fully set out in the White Paper (Cd. 9194) issued in November last, to which I would refer the hon. and gallant Member. The precise nature of the policy to be pursued to secure the development and maintenance of other industries of special national importance is now under consideration, but I am unable at present to state the exact character of the safeguards which will need to be adopted.