§ 16. Sir A. FELLasked the President of the Board of Trade if the silk industry has complained to the Board of Trade under the provisions of Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Act, 1921; if so, what is the position of their case; and if he is aware that the large imports of silk manufactured goods are largely owing to the fact that they come from countries where the currency is depreciated seriously?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. No primâ facie case has been made out for reference to a Committee, but certain further representations by the manufacturers concerned are under consideration. With regard to the last part, the records of the countries from which imports of silk manufactures were consigned last year show that only a relatively small proportion (certainly less than one-eighth part) are derived from countries the depreciation of whose currency furnishes a special stimulus to export to the United Kingdom.