§ 41. Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the President of the Board of Trade what application he has received from the company recently registered as Independent Harris Tweed Producers Limited, for a certification mark; what mark has been approved; and what is the description and place of origin of the products to which the mark may be applied.
§ Mr. J. RodgersThe Registrar of Trade Marks has received no application from Independent Harris Tweed Producers Limited for a certification trade mark; the other questions do not, therefore arise.
§ Mr. MacMillanSince the President of the Board of Trade himself recently corrected in the House his own rather damaging statement that Harris tweed, like Bath buns, could be made anywhere and later said that even Harris tweed. so-called, made in England would not be Harris tweed, will the Minister be extremely careful in approaches from companies coming from outside the area who may draw their materials from anywhere at all in competition with the genuine article in areas where it is giving, employment to the local people?
§ Mr. RodgersThat point will be borne in mind.
§ 42. Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the articles of association of the Harris Tweed Association indicate the function of the Association, with particular reference to whether it is intended to be a profit-making organisation; whether its certification mark includes a crown; and whether he is satisfied that its advertising matter does not infringe any of the conditions attached to this mark.
§ Mr. J. RodgersHarris Tweed Association Limited is a company limited by guarantee: it is, therefore, a non-trading 1019 body and so cannot make a profit. One of its functions is the ownership of a certification trade mark which does not include a crown. The recent advertisements which I have seen do not appear to be contrary to the regulations governing the mark.
§ Mr. MacMillanIn view of the need to undo the damage caused by some quite outrageously inaccurate statements made in this House by the hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. F. Noel-Baker) on 21st November, will the President of the Board of Trade take the greatest care to refute the innuendoes and smears about the Harris Tweed Association in that statement, which is doing a great deal of damage in my constituency to a genuine industry employing decent people who are producing a cloth in which they and the consumer have every confidence?
§ Mr. RodgersMy right hon. Friend and I greatly deplore words such as "racket" and "patently dishonest", used by hon. Members opposite in connection with the Harris Tweed Association.
§ 43. Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the President of the Board of Trade the total estimated production of Orb-certification marked Harris tweed in 1956 and in 1957; and how much of this was exported to dollar markets.
§ Mr. J. RodgersAccording to the Harris Tweed Association, the production of cloth stamped with the Orb-certification mark in 1956 and 1957 was 6,624,000 yards and 6,329,000 yards, respectively. Exports to dollar markets are estimated by the Association to have been about 2 million yards in each of the two years.
§ Mr. MacMillanIn view of what may be the beginning of a downward trend in production in this industry, threatening both the earning of dollars and the employment of the workers in the industry, will not the Parliamentary Secretary agree that this underlines the necessity of protecting the industry and, secondly, of introducing new industries to the area, where unemployment is hovering around 30 per cent.?
§ Mr. RodgersThe Board of Trade has always recognised the value of the work done by the Harris Tweed Association, particularly in promoting exports of its 1020 Orb-certificated cloth, and has offered the Association all possible assistance in this work overseas.