§ 55. Sir R. Blairasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the unemployment caused, either by lack of factory equipment or by artificial shortage of raw materials to be processed into exports, he will consider asking the Export Council to report on the control system, inquiring whether such system works expeditiously and the staffs are suited to the work, or whether the main difficulty be failure to arrange the necessary plant?
§ The President of the Board of Trade (Sir Andrew Duncan)In view of the considerable differences between the circumstances of one industry and another, I do not think that a general inquiry, such as my hon. Friend has in mind, would lead to speedy results. The considerations to which he has drawn attention will, however, receive the careful 1005 attention of the executive members of the Export Council during their discussions with individual export groups.
§ 59. Sir R. Blairasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that it is almost useless to divert goods from home sales into the competitive overseas markets in an attempt to extend exports if there is a considerable increase in costs of production; and, as wages are the dominant factor of costs, will he invite trade union leaders to deal with the wages question in order to assist in strengthening the sterling exchange and to secure export trade for post-war employment, unhampered by such dear prices as reduced our overseas trade in 1920 to 1925?
§ Sir A. DuncanI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for West Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Sir J. Leech) on 20th February.