§ 66. Mr. J. Lewisasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, as a result of permission to export utility cloth, there is a serious shortage of factory overalls, which has resulted in the inability of retailers to meet demands made on them by persons who are entitled to the industrial ten coupons; and if he will make a statement.
§ The President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Harold Wilson)Permission for the export of utility cloths in the industrial overall range has been given only for exports to particularly desirable markets and the total quantity involved has been too small to have had any appreciable effect upon home supplies.
§ Mr. LewisIs my right hon. Friend aware that in point of fact it is impossible to get these overalls even with the 10 industrial coupons? There must be some reason for that, and, in the circumstances, would he be good enough to investigate the matter a little more thoroughly?
§ Mr. WilsonI agree that the supplies of industrial overalls are not plentiful, but we have not had any evidence of serious difficulty or hardship in this matter. So far as exports are concerned, the total amount so far released for export has been only one-third of 1 per cent. of a year's production.