§ 4. Mr. William Shepherdasked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of the imports of leather footwear from Eire in the last six months of 1951; and how far British exports to Eire enjoyed the unrestricted entry accorded to Eireann imports into this country.
§ The President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Peter Thorneycroft)Three hundred and forty-two thousand pairs of leather footwear, valued at £400,000 were imported from the Irish Republic during the last six months of 1951. Imports of leather footwear into the Irish Republic are subject to quantitative restriction, a single quota being fixed annually for imports from all sources. During 1951 the United Kingdom supplied the bulk of leather footwear imported into the Republic within the quota of 20,000 pairs.
§ Mr. ShepherdDoes not my right hon. Friend realise how serious and unfair this is to the British footwear trade? Will he take immediate steps to see that any arrangements between this country and Eire are on a reciprocal basis?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftIt would, of course, be fair to say that we have a very much bigger share of their market than they have of ours.