§ 39. Mr. HACKINGasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether a Committee has yet been appointed, in pursuance of the recommendation in the Chelmsford report, to consider the question of the acquisition of a site and the erection of buildings in which the British Industries Fair may be held in fuutre years?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe Committee has not yet been appointed, but its composition and terms of reference are under consideration.
§ Mr. HACKINGWhen is it likely to be appointed, as we were told a fortnight or three weeks ago that a decision would very shortly be reached?
§ Mr. GILLETTI think in the next fortnight.
§ 40. Mr. HACKINGasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he can give any statistics in respect of the first week of the British Industries Fair?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe figures of attendance are as follow:
London section of the Fair (including the Cotton Textile Exhibition at the White City).
(The above figures do not include the attendances at the Artificial Silk Exhibition at the Albert Hall, where turnstile reading were not taken.)
Overseas buyers … 2,765 Home buyers … 73,500 Public … 20,390 1745 Birmingham section:
(These figures represent the attendance at the Birmingham section up to within a short time of the closing hour Saturday.)
Overseas buyers … 953 Home buyers … 52,369 General public … 7,152
§ Mr. HACKINGAm I right in assuming that these figures constitute an increase last year's figures in every over case?
§ Mr. GILLETTThere has been an increase of about 10 per cent. in oversea buyers, and of nearly 20 per cent. in home buyers, but, on the other hand, there has been a decrease in the attendance of the public.
§ 44. Mr. HANNONasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he can state the number of Foreign and Colonial visitors to whom passes have been issued to visit the British Industries Fair at London and Birmingham: and if he will publish the numbers of visitors from day to day until the dose of the Fair?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe number of overseas buyers to whom invitations to visit the Fair have been sent by my Department is approximately 60,000. The Press are being informed day by day of the number of visitors to the Fair on the previous day and this practice will be continued until the close of the Fair.
51. Sir F. HALLasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he is aware that a number of drapers' models which are being used for the display of goods at the British Industries Fair are of foreign manufacture; and whether, owing to the fact that models of the same nature are made in this country, he will see that in future exhibitions a regulation is made that only models of British manufacture are used?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe regulations of the British Industries Fair stipulate that all samples displayed by the exhibitors must have been manufactured or produced mainly within the British Empire. I fear it would not be practicable, however, to extend this principle to materials which may be used by exhibi- 1746 tors for the installation and display of their exhibits.
§ Mr. GILLETTThe conditions are exactly the same as obtained under the previous Government.
Sir F. HALLConsidering that we are always receiving the reply that "it is the same as their predecessors," are we to understand that the Government accept always the policy of the previous Government?
§ 85. Mr. SMITHERSasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Soviet citizens, if any, have been granted permission, up to date, to enter this country for the purpose of visiting the British Industries Fair?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Short)Visas have been authorised to enable 19 Soviet citizens to come to this country for the purpose of visiting the British Industries Fair.
§ Mr. SMITHERSWill the hon. Member take steps to see that these citizens are sent back as soon as the fair is over?