§ 29. Mr. George Hicksasked the President of the Board of Trade why no reply has been given to an urgent communication addressed to his Department on 14th October, 1948, by the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers regarding a permit issued by the Board of Trade for the importation of Finnish granite memorials.
§ Mr. H. WilsonMy personal attention was drawn to the letter from the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers by a letter from the National Joint Council for the Monumental Industry for England and Wales, to whom I replied on 15th November.
§ Mr. HicksIs my right hon. Friend aware that the industry is predisposed in favour of the Government but that they were very disappointed when there was no reply forthcoming to the letter sent?
§ Mr. WilsonI very much regret the delay.
§ Mr. BeechmanWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that a granite quarry in Cornwall, employing 100 men, was put out of work last month? Will he see that this sort of thing does not occur as a result of imports from other countries?
§ Mr. WilsonI am well aware that our granite supplies are sufficient, but in our trade negotiations with countries like Finland, from whom we want timber for the building industry, we cannot in each case refuse to take non-essentials with which they want to supply us.