§ 61 and 62. Mr. SANDHAMasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he can inform this House as to the intentions of the Government in regard to the need for the setting up of a national cotton control board whose function should be the purchase of raw cotton as well as the disposal of the finished cotton products of Lancashire;
(2) if he will indicate the comparative values of cotton cloth exports from this country in 1927 and 1930–31 covering a single year in each period; if he can yet inform the House of the results accruing from the Government's efforts at coordination of this industry; and to what extent those efforts are directed to bringing sections of the industry into larger units covering ultimately all productive manufacturing and marketing processes?
§ Mr. W. R. SMITHAs my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade stated in his reply of 12th May to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Remer), he hopes on the occasion of the Vote of his Department to make as complete a statement as is possible regarding the reorganisation of the cotton trade. As regards the comparative values of cotton cloth exports in 1927 and the recent year, the total domestic exports of cotton piece goods from the United Kingdom amounted to 4,117 million square yards of a declared value of £109,996,000 in 1927, and to 1,793 million square yards of a declared value of £45,050,000 in the 12 months ended 31st May, 1931.
§ Mr. BROCKWAYHas the hon. Gentleman's attention been drawn to the request of the organised workers in the industry for a reorganisation of the industry on these lines, and will he speed up the reorganisation?
§ Mr. SMITHI think any right hon. Friend is aware of those facts and has had them under consideration.
§ Mr. SANDHAMCan my hon. Friend say whether action is likely to be taken?