§ 20. Mr. RHYS DAVIESasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that there are firms in Lancashire advertising in the Indian and Japanese Textile and Engineering Diary, 1935, the sale of second-hand Lancashire textile machinery; whether he can give any information as to the value of this export trade; whether he has taken into consideration the recommendation set forth in the Colwyn Committee Report to put a stop to this traffic; and, if so, with what results?
§ Dr. BURGINMy attention had not previously been drawn to these particular advertisements and I am afraid that there are no separate statistics of the exports of second-hand textile machinery. The recommendation of the Colwyn Committee referred solely to the disposal of surplus plant acquired for the purposes of the scheme recommended by the Committee which is now under consideration.
§ Mr. DAVIESWill the hon. Gentleman be good enough to look at the advertisements sent out to the East by Lancashire firms offering for sale secondhand textile machinery from Lancashire, if I let him see the publication?
§ Dr. BURGINI shall be very glad to consider any material, of course.