§ 1. Mr. WATERSONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Government sale of flax by public auction resulted in a complete failure to sell; whether the bidding did not reach Government price; whether this price bore any relation to the state of the market; and whether it is the policy of the Government to exploit the needs of the community in this commodity?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Robert Horne)The hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension. No flax has been offered for sale at auction by the Government. I presume that the sale to which the hon. Gentleman refers was a sale of flax which was the property of the Latvian and the Lithuanian Governments, and His Majesty's 4 Government have no control over it or over the policy pursued in regard to its sale.