§ 42. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the cloth produced in this country is made available to the home public; and what percentage of that allowed in 1938 and 1945 this represents.
§ Mr. MarquandThe proportions of the output of woven wool cloth consumed in the home market is approximately 82 per cent.; the corresponding figure for cotton and for rayon is in each case about 65 per cent. A good deal of this cloth is, however, use for industrial and other non-domestic purposes. Supplies of woven wool cloth for home civilian clothing purposes were nearly 50 per cent. higher in the period from May to August, 1946, than in the corresponding period of 1945—
§ Captain CrookshankWhen there was a war on?
§ Mr. MarquandOf course—the increase for woven non-wool cloth over the same period was 45 per cent. Comparable figures are not available for prewar years, but it is estimated that new supplies of clothing (other than footwear) were in 1945 approximately one-half of the prewar rate; in May and June, 1946, supplies had risen to nearly two-thirds of prewar.
§ Major Legge-BourkeIs the hon. Gentleman aware that, in some cases, tailors are not getting enough cloth even to honour their quota allowances from wholesalers, and will he look into this to see that the home market does get its quota?
§ Mr. MarquandYes, Sir. This is not the first Question of this kind, and I suggest to hon. Members that we do not have to look into this, because we are looking at it all the time. This is one of the main production problems of this country 1044 —the shortage of labour in the wool and cotton spinning industries—which is almost as great as in the mining industry.
§ Sir R. RossCan the Minister say what percentage of the cotton cloth exported to foreign countries is un-made-up?
§ Mr. MarquandNot without notice.