§ 41. Captain Orrasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is yet in a position to make the changes in the Purchase Tax D levels requested by the hon. Member for Down, South on behalf of the Irish Linen Guild and the Irish Linen Merchants' Association.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterNo, Sir. But I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that this matter is being carefully examined and will be borne in mind when the D scheme is reviewed.
§ Captain OrrIs my hon. Friend aware that this matter has been closely examined since the last Finance Bill and that the industry is becoming very impatient?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI appreciate the interest of the industry in Northern Ireland in the matter, but one of the 1139 issues in question is the competitive position of these fabrics as against other fabrics. Obviously, one has to weigh one against the other rather carefully.