HC Deb 11 December 1947 vol 445 cc1184-5
40. Mr. Sharp

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated cost of equipping the wool-textile industry with modern machinery; what is the present annual rate of production of such machinery; what proportion of this is exported; and why machines urgently required at home to increase textile exports are sent abroad to competitors when their export value is far less than that of the additional textile exports they could produce.

Mr. Belcher

The wool industry is already equipped with a large amount of modern machinery, and while the Wool Working Party drew attention to the need for improvement in certain directions, no quantitative estimate on the subject could easily be made since it would depend upon individual opinion of the extent to which modernization is necessary. Some indication, however, can be obtained from the fact that orders from the wool industry on the books of the textile machinery makers at the end of August last totalled £8.7 million. Total deliveries of wool textile machinery (excluding accessories) are at present at the rate of £4.3 million per year, of which about two-thirds go to the home trade and one-third is exported. Textile machinery forms an important part of our machinery exports, which could not be sacrificed, but a substantial measure of preference in delivery is given to the British industry. Total production is increasing and I hope that supplies to the British industry during 1948 will show an increase compared with the recent past.

Mr. Sharp

Is my hon. Friend aware that, at the present time, textile machinery is being exported which is badly required for the woollen textile industry in this country, and is he further aware that if it were retained in this country, the volume of goods obtained would be far greater in any one year than the value of the machinery which has been exported? In view of the fact that the President of the Board of Trade is continually urging the wool textile industry to produce more, will he give practical assistance by ensuring that more machinery is allocated to the home trade?

Mr. Belcher

I have already indicated that we recognise the need for improving the equipment of British mills, and a measure of preference is given to the home trade. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that textile machinery has always been an important export from this country, and, in face of the present difficulties, we cannot afford to ignore the long-term position of the export trade in regard to textile machinery.

Sir Frank Sanderson

Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that the lack of textile machinery is not the bottle-neck in the textile industry today, but the shortage of operatives which, I am glad to say, is increasing?

Mr. Belcher

I take it that the hon. Gentleman does not mean that the lack of operatives is increasing, but that the number is increasing, and, therefore, the lack of them is decreasing.