§ 113. Mr. CHORLTONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any change has taken place in the quota allocations made by different colonies on their non-Empire imports; and, further, if the returns show a continued improvement in the exports from this country?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. J. H. Thomas)There have been no recent extensions of the quota system at present applicable to foreign cotton and artificial silk piece goods imported into certain Colonial dependencies. It is estimated that the imports of these goods from the United Kingdom into the dependencies in question increased from under 27 million linear yards in the first quarter of 1934 (when the quotas were not in force) to nearly 62½ million linear yards in the 1952 first quarter of 1935, and I have every reason to suppose that imports are continuing at or above the latter rate. I can assure hon. Members that this increase is being of material benefit to the Lancashire cotton industry.