§ 4. Mr. Petherickasked the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements are being made by His Majesty's Government to facilitate the resumption of the export trade in china clay and ball clay.
§ 8. Major Studholmeasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state, in tons, the demands sent to United Kingdom exporters of china clay and ball clay which they are unable to fulfil owing to shortage of labour and shipping.
§ Mr. DaltonI am in touch with my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Labour, regarding the needs of this valuable export industry, and everything possible is being done, subject to the demands of war production, to provide additional labour. Four closed china clay pits have recently been re-opened, and firms are being given facilities to acquire new plant and to send representatives overseas. It is impossible to estimate how much export business has been lost during the war owing to the diversion of labour and shipping to the war effort.
§ Mr. PetherickIs the Minister aware that in pre-war times this industry was 606 three-fifths export, and only two-fifths home trade? Will he take the leaders of that industry into consultation, with a view to early measures being adopted?
§ Mr. DaltonYes, Sir, I would be very glad to see them. We have very much in mind the need of developing as soon as possible the pottery industry for which this china clay is an indispensable raw material, and I am also aware that some of this material was exported in an un-fabricated form. I am anxious to hold a proper balance between the development of the pottery industry and the export of this material as such.
§ Mr. Ellis SmithWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the pottery industry, if allowed to expand and cater for world needs, will be able to utilise all the raw material that will be available in this country?
§ Mr. DaltonI am glad to hear it.
§ Mr. SilvermanCan my right hon. Friend assure the House that this important matter, on which the lives of so large a part of the community depend, will not be left entirely to the mercies of private enterprise?
§ Mr. DaltonThat is a larger question.
§ 7. Sir Geoffrey Manderasked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent priority, as regards labour, is granted to firms to develop export trade; and what steps with what Departments they should take to obtain such labour as is available.
§ Mr. DaltonThe degree of priority must vary from one industry to another, and I am in close touch with my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Labour, on the matter. The Regional Controllers of the Board of Trade will be very glad to advise firms on questions of this kind.
Sir G. MenderCan the Minister say how much labour has so far been made available for export purposes?
§ Mr. DaltonNone has been made available in Wolverhampton, because that is one of the areas in which the labour supply falls seriously short of the requirements for vital war work.