§ 41. Mr. Thorneasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has considered the complaints made by the Leicester Hosiery Machine Needles Company, Limited; why they cannot have the needles they want; and what he intends doing about the matter?
§ Mr. DaltonThe complaints of the Hosiery Machine Needle Company, Limited have been fully considered. As I informed my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Cleveland (Commander Bower) on Tuesday last, I am satisfied that the fairest method is to issue licences to importers in proportion to their trade during the 12 months before the outbreak of war. This company asked recently for a licence to import certain needles, but as they have since admitted that their pre-war imports of such needles were negligible, I do not propose to grant their request.