§ 76. Sir ROBERT CLOUGHasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he has received any information tending to show 2188 the loss or threatened loss, owing to the persistence of industrial unrest, of foreign contracts placed in this country; and whether trade in other countries is subject to the same measure of embarrassment in this respect as our own?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Sir W. Mitchell-Thomson)I have been asked to reply. My hon. Friend's attention has not recently been called to any particular orders which have been lost by British firms for the reason stated by my hon. Friend, but it is obvious that industrial unrest must have a prejudicial effect upon the placing of foreign contracts in this country. Trade in other countries suffers from the same embarrassment, sometimes in a greater and sometimes in a lesser degree, but it is impossible to institute any precise comparison.
§ Mr. J. DAVISONCan the hon. Gentleman state who is responsible for industrial unrest to-day?