§ 64. Mr. LYONSasked the President of the Board of Trade the sterling value of the imports of ready-made clothing from Poland to this country for the nine months ended 31st October last or the nearest convenient date, and the average rate of wage, in sterling, there paid in that industry
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe total declared value of outer garments, not of fur and excluding hosiery, imported into the United Kingdom and registered as consigned from Poland (including Dantzig) during the nine months ended the 31st October, 1933, was £96,000. I regret that I have no information regarding the average rate of wages, in sterling, paid to clothing workers in Poland but, according to Polish official figures the average earnings of 6,474 clothing workers (men, women, boys and girls) in Poland in February, 1933, were 22.07 zlotys per week equivalent to about 14s. 5d. No later figures have yet been received.
§ Mr. LYONSIn view of the great disparity between the wages paid there and the wages paid here will the right hon. Gentleman take immediate steps to provide further safeguards for manufacturers in this country?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have no doubt the Import Duties Advisory Committee will pay attention to any request which is made to them.
§ Mr. LYONSWill the right hon. Gentleman intervene to ask them to expedite the consideration of a matter like this, just as the Chancellor of the Exchequer intervened to ask them to suspend consideration of certain duties?
§ Mr. LOGANIs it possible to get in touch with the firms concerned and ask them to buy the British production instead of the foreign production?