§ 37. Mr. Stanley Prescottasked the President of the Board of Trade the total quantity of textile goods, cotton, wool, rayon and linen, respectively, for which orders have been placed with foreign countries; the names of such countries with respective quantities and prices; the amounts which have already been delivered; when the balance of deliveries may be expected; what quantity of such goods will be made available for home consumption and what further orders are contemplated.
§ Sir S. CrippsAs the answer is long and contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the statement:
§ Purchases of textiles by the Board of Trade over the last 12 months have been as follow:
§ facturers and traders at prices which cover the costs to the Board of Trade.
1495§ British Overseas Cottons Ltd. have recently purchased, with the approval of the Board of Trade, 6,000,000 metres of loom-state cotton piece goods in the Russian Zone of Germany at prices ranging between 1s. 7d. and 3s. 6d. per metre f.o.b. Baltic port. These goods are intended for the home market. Shipment will begin in a few weeks' time. Further purchases of German and Japanese cotton piece goods are under consideration. Some facilities have also been provided for the importation on private account under the sponsorship of Government Departments of classes of textile goods like tyre fabrics, cement bags and belting duck which are urgently needed here, or in accordance with more general arrangements made for import for re-export, token imports, and imports from countries whose economies have been disrupted by the war.