§ 25. Mr. John Morrisonasked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the contribution of the pottery factory of the English Co-operative Wholesale Society to the total export of pottery in the first nine months of this year.
§ 27. Commander Nobleasked the President of the Board of Trade what contribution to the export trade in footwear and soap in the first nine months of this year was made by the footwear and soap factories of the English and Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Societies.
§ 39. Major Guy Lloydasked the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the total manufacturing output of the English and Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Societies is to be allocated to assist in reaching export targets.
§ Mr. H. WilsonExport targets are normally set for industries rather than for individual firms or groups of firms. For this reason no specific export target has been allotted to the English and Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Societies, although, like other industrial undertakings, they are expected to play their full part in the attainment of the export targets for those branches of industry in which they are engaged. As regards the Co-operative Wholesale Society's exports of footwear, soap and pottery, it would not be proper for me to disclose the export performance of any individual undertaking.
§ Major LloydMay I ask the President of the Board of Trade to assure the House that every care will be taken to allay any possible suspicion that the co-operative societies will receive any biased treatment in this respect, and can he assure the House that if the co-operative societies are unable to attain such export targets as are set, they will, in accordance with the practice for other industries and businesses, be cut short of coal in consequence?
§ Mr. WilsonThere is no ground for any public suspicion of any kind on this subject. I can certainly say that the Co-operative Wholesale Society's factories have been treated in exactly the same way as other factories in the same industries.