§ 40. Mr. HACKINGasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he can state the nature and approximate value of any orders placed at Olympia by the one representative from Russia who attended the British Industries Fair this year?
§ Mr. GILLETTNo, Sir. It has never been the practice to inquire into the nature or value of orders placed by individual buyers.
§ Mr. HACKINGDoes the attendance of one single Russian at the British Industries Fair give any indication that the Russians are anxious to deal with this country?
§ Mr. GILLETTI am afraid I cannot add anything to the answer that I have given.
§ Mr. STEPHENIs the hon. Gentleman aware that there is no very great possibility of trade being developed with Russia so long as the Opposition behave as they are doing?
§ 41. Mr. HACKINGasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the amount of admission money taken from the general public at the Olympia turn stiles during the period of this year's British Industries Fair; how this amount compares with last year's takings; and whether he has received any complaints from the exhibitors in connection with the extension of hours during which the public were enabled to visit this section of the fair this year?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe receipts from the admission of the general public this year were £2,565 16s., compared with the amount of £1,633 9s. in 1929. The hours during which the public were admitted were the same on both occasions, and therefore the last part of the question does not arise.
§ 52. Miss WILKINSONasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether any woman has been, or is likely to be, appointed on the committee of the British Industries Fair; and whether, in view of the fact that women are the largest consumers of goods displayed at the London fair and many women are exhibitors, some such appointment will be made?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe position with regard to the Advisory Committees of the British Industries Fair is that the members are elected from among their number by the exhibitors themselves. It is always open, therefore, to the exhibitors to elect a woman representative.
§ Miss WILKINSONIs it a fact that there are no Government representatives whatever on that Committee?
§ Mr. GILLETTI am not aware of any Government representative being on the Committee.
§ Mr. HACKINGDoes the hon. Gentleman accept the statement that women are the largest consumer of goods displayed, and, if so, is it not a fact that husbands sometimes pay for the goods of their wives?
§ Mr. GILLETTI am afraid that I cannot express an opinion upon either of those points.