§ 13. Mr. HALESasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the injury being done to the North Staffordshire pottery industry by the practical cessation of orders from Holland owing to the quota restrictions; 1532 and whether he will take immediate steps to remove the ban now existing on British imports into that country, and also to facilitate the granting of licences for the importation of British pottery into Holland?
§ Lieut.-Colonel J. COLVILLE (Secretary, Overseas Trade Department)I understand that the quota allotted to the United Kingdom for fine earthenware, which is at the rate of 681.4 metric tons a year, was not fully used last year, and that this has been attributed by the industry to the method of allocation of licences in the Netherlands. The matter is under discussion with the industry, with a view to such representations to the Netherlands Government as may prove necessary. The possibility of securing increased quotas in the Netherlands for United Kingdom goods generally is also receiving active consideration.