§ 17 Mr. Peytonasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the average import price per pair of leather, knitted, and fabric gloves, respectively, imported from Hong Kong into this country; (2) the numbers of gloves, leather, woollen, and fabric, imported from Japan during January and February of this year; (3) the numbers of fabric gloves imported into the United Kingdom in January and February, 1955, and during the same months in 1954.
§ Mr. PeytonWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that somewhat delayed reply, may I ask whether he would not agree that the prices of gloves imported into this country from Hong Kong are now such as to render competition by the home industry almost impossible? For instance, is he aware that orders for woollen gloves this year are 77 per cent. down compared with this time last year? Would he not agree that the time has come when this country's trade policy with the Colonies should be urgently re-examined?
§ Mr. LowThe hon. Member is raising a rather wider topic which is contained 984 in a later Question on the Order Paper. But on the general subject of Government action, I have nothing to add to the answer given on 9th December by the President of the Board of Trade.
§ Following is the answer:
| IMPORTS OF GLOVES INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM | ||||
| — | Jan.—Feb., 1954 | Jan.—Feb., 1955 | ||
| Thousand dozen pairs | Thousand dozen pairs | Average value per pair | ||
| Leather | s. | d. | ||
| Hong Kong | 3 | 1 | 10½ | |
| Japan | — | — | ||
| Total world | 6 | 9 | ||
| Fabric | ||||
| Hong Kong | 4 | 71 | 1 | 10½ |
| Japan | — | 6 | ||
| Total world | 23 | 90 | ||
| Other descriptions including knitted and mittens | ||||
| Hong Kong | 24 | 30 | 1 | 6½ |
| Japan | — | 8 | ||
| Total world of which woollen | 69 | 74 | ||
| Hong Kong | 2 | 4 | ||
| Japan | — | negligible | ||
| Total world | 3 | 5 | ||
| Total, all gloves | ||||
| Hong Kong | 28 | 104 | ||
| Japan | — | 14 | ||
| World | 98 | 173 |