§ 65. Mrs. Castleasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make a statement on the Government's proposals for dealing with the competition from imported Indian cloth, which is undermining the stability of the Lancashire cotton industry.
§ Mr. LowNo, Sir. I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer last Friday.
§ Mrs. CastleIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that on 15th April the Blackburn Chamber of Commerce made publicly an appeal to the Government for immediate action and emphatically and unanimously recorded its concern at the delay in helping Lancashire? Is he aware also that the National Chamber of Trade, at its conference yesterday, repeated this call for action, and when will the Government listen to these non-partisan appeals by business men?
§ Mr. LowMy right hon. Friend explained the position carefully to the House on Friday, and I think I remember the hon. Lady sitting opposite listening to him. I repeat that I have nothing to add to that explanation.
Mr. H. WilsonCould the right hon. Gentleman say whether the statement which the Chancellor of the Exchequer indicated that we might expect before the Dissolution will refer only to changes in the Indian tariff on Lancashire goods, or will it deal also with the question of Indian exports into Great Britain?
§ Mr. LowNo, Sir. I have already explained that I have nothing to add to the full statement made by my right hon. Friend. I can assure the right hon. Gentleman and the House that it would be much wiser and better advised to await the statement when it is made.