HC Deb 13 March 1946 vol 420 cc1112-3
96. Miss Bacon

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement with respect to the reimbursement of traders for coupons lost by the de pointing of women's garments; and state the position of tailors and dressmakers who make garments to customers' requirements.

Mr. Belcher

Yes, Sir. Garment manufacturers, including bespoke tailors, will, during the period of downpointing, continue to give the full number of coupons for the cloth which they purchase but will receive the reduced rate of coupons for garments of the downpointed types which they supply. They will, therefore, require reimbursement on the basis of the number of garments of the downpointed types of their own manufacture which they supply to others during the period of downpointing. Dressmakers who merely make up cloth which is their customers' own property will not lose any coupons and will, therefore, not have any claim. Dressmakers who themselves surrender coupons for the cloth required to make their customers' garments, and collect coupons from their customers at the appropriate rate for the finished garments will be in the same position as bespoke tailors, and will require reimbursement in the same way. We have secured the help of the trade associations in handling these applications. Claim forms for manufacturers and bespoke tailors will be available from the trade associations after 25th March, and should be returned to these associations after completion. Distributors will sell downpointed garments from their opening stocks for less coupons than they gave for them, but they will be able to replace them during the period of downpointing at the reduced coupon rate. They will, therefore, lose coupons only if their stocks of downpointed garments are lower at the end than they were at the beginning of the downpointing period and they will require reimbursement only in these circumstances and to this extent. All distributors who think that they may wish to make a claim should start keeping records at once to show separately for each type of downpointed garment (a) the number in stock at 13th March, (b) the number pur- chased from 13th March to 7th June, (c) the number sold from 13th March to 7th June and (d) the number in stock at 7th June. Claim forms for distributors will be available from the distributors' Associations at the end of the period of downpointing. I would like to take this opportunity of expressing our gratitude to the Trade Associations for their help.

Captain Crowder

Will the Minister explain what is the difference between depointing and downpointing, and what those terms mean?

Mr. Belcher

I am not aware that I used the word "depositing."

Hon. Members

It is in the Question.

Mr. Belcher

I cannot be responsible for words used by hon. Members in Questions. Obviously, the word should be "downpointing."