§ 26. Miss Burtonasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the consumer research, essential for quality control of textiles, is not being carried out at the present time; and if he will, therefore, consider remitting this problem to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftConsumer research is continuously undertaken by manufacturers and distributors as part of their normal business. The problem does not fall within the province of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
§ Miss BurtonDoes the right hon. Gentleman not agree that in so far as the rayon industry is concerned this quality research is not being carried out? Is he aware that he gave the House an assurance about 18 months ago that the rayon industry would mark their cloth, and that only last week he said that that undertaking was not being carried out? Is he going to break faith both with this House and the shopping public?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI am not at all sure that the research is not being carried out by the rayon industry.