§ 50. Mr. ARTHUR LAWasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is prepared to introduce legislation with a view to establishing a national board of cotton control, charged with the duties of securing economic reorganisation from the raw-cotton stage to the finished product, dividing the industry compulsorily into a few big combinations, or one single economic unit, under State control by and through the said national board of cotton control?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. W. R. Smith)I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on the 2nd December to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Remer), of which I am sending him a copy.
§ Mr. WISEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that, exactly eight months ago, the Cotton Committee, of which two Members of the Cabinet were members, reported that:
The crisis is urgent and immediate action is imperative,and, further, went on to say that, unless the trade took action immediately, the Government should itself forthwith come to Parliament and lay proposals before this House for action by the Government; and may I ask when the Government propose to carry that recommendation into effect?
§ Mr. SMITHI think that my hon. Friend had better see the answer to which I have referred, which, I think, still explains the present position. 1812 the expenditure per scholar of the local education authorities in question on the secondary schools maintained by them was as follows: