§ 8. Mr. Norman Doddsasked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made by the committee of the Clothing Industry Development Council in looking into the problem of informative labelling of clothing as an aid to maximum serviceability.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI understand that substantial progress has been made by the Clothing Industry Development Council in the difficult task of securing general agreement on the use of trade descriptions which could be embodied in a labelling scheme for the information of consumers.
§ Mr. DoddsIs the right hon. Gentleman in favour of some system under which articles will have some sort of definition which will indicate to purchasers whether or not the goods should be sent to the cleaners?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftWe may be discussing these matters later in the afternoon.
§ Mr. DoddsI have been caught that way before, Mr. Speaker. Could I now have an answer "Yes" or "No" to that very simple question, which later might be lost in a welter of words?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI know the very proper interest which the hon. Gentleman has in this subject, and I can assure him that I have paid great attention to the speeches he has made upon it.
§ 9. Mr. Doddsasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the increasing amount of clothing now being made which is not up to standard; that concern has been expressed at this state of affairs by the Scottish Light Clothing Manufacturers' Association; and what action he proposes to deal with this problem.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI have no evidence that the amount of sub-standard clothing on sale to the public is increasing, and no representations on this subject have been made to my Department by the Scottish Light Clothing Manufacturers' Association.