§ 4. Mr. HANNONasked the President of the Board of Trade how the volume of production in the lace industry now compares with the period before the imposition of the safeguarding duty on lace?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI regret that the information furnished by the trade is still not sufficiently complete for me to give the particulars which my hon. Friend desires.
§ Mr. HANNONIs it not a fact that there has been a very substantial improvement in this trade since the Safeguarding Duties were imposed?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI quoted statistics recently from a large proportion of the factories—all which were available to me. On the evidence, I think it is certainly fair to say that if the duty was not there the trade which is still maintained in this country would undoubtedly have gone.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERIt refers to the trade generally. The hon. Member knows that there is a limited demand for this commodity, and were it .not for the fact that a duty had been imposed I very much doubt whether the trade could have maintained its position at all.