§ 39. Mr. E. Johnsonasked the President of the Board of Trade the value of the cane and wicker open shopping baskets imported during the financial years 1956–57 and 1957–58, respectively; and how this compares with the quantity of similar baskets produced by workshops for blind people in this country.
§ The Minister of State, Board of Trade (Mr. J. K. Vaughan-Morgan)These goods are not separately distinguished in the Trade Returns, but are included in a general heading for cane and wicker 195 baskets of which total imports in the financial years 1956–57 and 1957–58 were £165,000 and £221,000 respectively.
It is estimated that the production of baskets of all kinds by Workshops for the Blind amount to some £386,000 per year.
§ Mr. JohnsonIs it possible from those figures to estimate how much the Purchase Tax concession, which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor made to help blind workshops, is helping foreign manufacturers of these baskets to the detriment of manufacturers of similar baskets in other materials?
§ Mr. Vaughan-MorganMost of that question should be addressed to my right hon. Friend. The Question on the Order Paper relates only to imports.