72. Colonel CROOKSHANKasked the President of the Board of Trade if he can give the value of imports of cotton blankets for the three weeks preceding the 15th November as compared with the similar period for last year?
§ 73 and 74. Sir W. SMILESasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will give the figures showing the increase in the pounds weight of cotton yarn imported into this country during the first fortnight of November, 1931, as compared with the pounds weight for the first fortnight of November, 1922;
(2) if he will give the figures showing the increase of the number of yards of cotton piece goods imported into this country during the first, fortnight of November, 1931, as compared with the number of yards during the first fortnight of November, 1922?
§ 77. Mr. HACKINGasked the President of the Board of Trade the quantity of cotton piece goods imported during the first two weeks of November and the quantity imported during the same period of last year?
§ 78 and 79. Mr. BROCKLEBANKasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what is the increase in the weight of cotton yarn imported in the first fortnight of November, 1931, over that imported in the comparable period in 1922;
(2) what is the increase in the number of yards of cotton piece goods imported in the first fortnight of November, 1931, over the imports in the comparable period in 1922?
§ 83. Mr. CROSSasked the President of the Board of Trade the total quantity of cotton piece goods of all descriptions imported into this country during the first 14 days, or such period as may be convenient, of the current month, and the figures for the comparable period in 1924?
§ 86. Mr. KIRKPATRICKasked the President of the Board of Trade the value of imports of cotton quilts for three weeks preceding 14th November, as compared with the similar period last year?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI would refer my hon. Friends to the reply given on Tuesday last to my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. Herbert) respecting statistics for shorter periods than one month. Particulars of the imports of cotton yarns and piece goods in considerable detail are published monthly in the "Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom," and figures 928 for the whole month of November, with comparable data for each of the past two years, will be published on the 11th December.
§ Lieut.-Commander ASTBURYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that during 10 months of this year, 78,000,000 square yards of cotton piece goods have been imported into this country and that that is the reason why our mills in Lancashire are lying idle to-day?
§ Mr. HACKINGIn view of the fact that the right hon. Gentleman can give these figures for the first 10 days of the month, only six days after the expiration of that period, why can he not give us the figures for the first fortnight of the month, at the end of the month?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI assure my right hon. Friend that it is not a difficulty which I have created for the purpose, but I cannot press the officials of the Department to give me their figures at intervals of a few days. It adds greatly to the work, and I give the figures as soon as we can make any use of them.
§ Mr. HACKINGIn view of the fact that there has been 100 per cent. increase in the importation of these goods, since 1924, surely the right hon. Gentleman thinks it time to take action?
§ Sir W. SMILESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the terrible unemployment in Lancashire is principally due to the dumping of foreign cotton cloth?
§ 84. Mr. KIRKPATRICKasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the figures showing the quantity of cotton piece goods made in this country exported to Europe and re-imported in a dyed, bleached, or finished condition into this country and/or reexported abroad?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANAs the answer is long I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer.
§ The information desired by my hon. Friend is not separately recorded in the trade returns of the United Kingdom. The trade statistics of other principal manufacturing countries have therefore been examined and only in the cases of 929 the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium are relevant particulars available. During 1930 the total quantity of cotton piece goods imported into the Netherlands and Switzerland from the United Kingdom for bleaching, dyeing, finishing etc. was 13,739 cwts. and 13,792 cwts. respectively. No information is available as to the quantity subsequently re-exported from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom but 667 ewts. were returned to this country from Switzerland the remainder being re-exported to other countries.
§ With regard to Belgium, the latest year for which information is in my possession is 1928. In that year the total quantity of cotton piece goods imported into the Belgo-Luxemburg Economic Union from the United Kingdom "for improvement" was 10,568 cwts. I am unable to state what proportion was ultimately re-exported to this country.
§ 85. Mr. KIRKPATRICKasked the President of the Board of Trade what were the imports of cotton piece-goods of all classes from the United States of America as well as from Europe for the period in 1931 for which he has actual or even approximate figures, as corn-pared with the similar period during 1930, 1920, 1928, and 1927?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANAs the answer is somewhat long I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The total imports into the United Kingdom of cotton piece goods of all kinds registered during the first 10 months of 1931, as consigned from the United States and Europe (excluding the Irish Free State) amounted to 4,773,000 square yards valued at £170,000 and 60,068,000 square yards valued at £3,291,000 respectively. The particulars for the corresponding periods of each of the four preceding years are not readily available but my hon. Friend will find particulars of the imports of cotton piece goods during each of the calendar years 1927 to 1930, consigned from the United States and the principal European countries, in Volume II of the Annual Statement of Trade for 1930.