§ 10. Commander Donaldsonasked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent his Department was associated, by special charter or otherwise, in the creation of the Harris Tweed Association Limited.
§ Sir D. EcclesNo such association can be traced.
§ Commander DonaldsonIs my right hon. Friend aware that the Harris Tweed Association Limited has recently widely published in the United States statements to the effect that it was created by special charter of the Board of Trade? Does not he agree that such misrepresentations 517 greatly prejudice other Harris tweed manufacturers, who produce 1,750,000 yards of material a year? Is not it unfair that there should be prejudice when a company is not associated with the orb trade mark?
§ Sir D. EcclesThe Harris Tweed Association was registered in 1909, but it has never had a special Board of Trade charter and, therefore, the advertisement to which my hon. and gallant Friend has referred is incorrect.
§ Mr. Malcolm MacMillanIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that that advertisement in the American papers was inserted not by the Harris Tweed Association, but by an American attorney, without the consent or instructions of the Harris Tweed Association, which therefore cannot be liable to that criticism?
§ Sir D. EcclesMy hon. and gallant Friend will be very glad to have that information.
§ 11. Commander Donaldsonasked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent, in agreeing to the registration of the certification mark of the Harris Tweed Association, he has officially authorised any particular definition of Harris tweed as the only description of that material which can be permitted in this country.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe Board's approval of the regulations governing the use of the certification trade mark registered by the Harris Tweed Association does not signify that the definition of Harris tweed in those regulations is the only definition of Harris tweed for all purposes. That definition is only relevant to the use of the mark.
§ Commander DonaldsonWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that Answer, and in connection with the supplementary question just put by the hon. Member for the Western Isles (Mr. Malcolm MacMillan), may I ask my right hon. Friend whether or not he has seen copies of the advertisement to which I have referred? If I send copies to him, will he consider the matter in the light of that advertisement, keeping in mind his responsibility and duty to increase British trade, both at home and overseas, and not to retard it?
§ Sir D. EcclesI have the advertisement here, and I think that this exchange will make public what is the truth.
§ 23. Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the President of the Board of Trade what assistance or encouragement is given by his Department to the Harris Tweed Association in promoting sales of Harris tweed, stamped with the orb certification mark, in the dollar area; and if he will estimate the quantity and the value of the dollar area exports of this cloth in each of the past two years.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe help which the Board of Trade can give in a variety of ways in promoting exports to the dollar area is freely available to members of the Harris Tweed Association. Exports of cloth stamped with the orb certification mark are not recorded separately in the Trade Returns, but the Harris Tweed Association has estimated that exports of such cloth by manufacturers to the dollar area amounted to 1.55 million yards, valued at£1,038,000, in 1956, and to 1.1 million yards valued at£700,000, in the first half of 1957. No estimate is yet available for the whole of 1957.
§ Mr. Malcolm MacMillanIs the President of the Board of Trade aware that this industry, which is the only manufacturing industry in the Western Isles and one on which thousands of people depend for their livelihood, has built itself up independently, with very little help indeed from the Board of Trade or anyone else, and would not he wish to encourage it in every way, in order to sustain local employment against the danger of competition from pirating firms producing imitations, the Harris Tweed Association having paid for all the advertising of this cloth?
§ Sir D. EcclesYes, and we are doing our best to help the industry by asking the Americans not to increase the tariff.
§ Commander DonaldsonWhile not disagreeing with what has been said about the dollar-earning capacity of the Harris Tweed Association, may I ask what assistance is given to those who produce Harris tweed of equal quality, but who, because they are not members of the Harris Tweed Association Limited, have their goods proscribed from entry into the United States?
§ Sir D. EcclesThe Board of Trade's services are open to any maker of Harris tweed, whether from the Islands or not.
§ 24. Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the President of the Board of Trade what consideration was given to the definition of Harris tweed in the regulations attaching to the Harris Tweed Association's Orb certification mark before it was sanctioned by his Department in 1934; whether he is satisfied that there is adequate protection of the Orb mark against its illegal use by persons producing and selling imitations of the cloth in areas outwith the Outer Hebrides in this country and abroad; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe amended definition of 1934 was fully discussed between representatives of the Board and the interested parties. I am satisfied that there is adequate protection against any illegal use of the Orb mark. If the hon. Member has any evidence to the contrary, he should bring it to the notice of either my Department or the Harris Tweed Association Limited.
§ Mr. Malcolm MacMillanWhile I am reassured by the right hon. Gentleman's reply about protection, may I ask if he does not think that, at the same time, it is highly important that the Board of Trade—which, after all, sanctioned the definition in the regulations attaching to the Orb mark of the Harris Tweed Association—now that there are obvious signs of pirating and competition by imitations from everywhere from Galashiels to Japan, should give every assistance to protect this very important industry and this cloth which is so valuable to the Western Isles?
§ Sir D. EcclesThe description "Harris tweed" is very like that of Bath buns. It covers the manufacture of articles not all made in the place to which the name refers.