§ 34. Mr. Benceasked the President of the Board of Trade how many sewing machines of Japanese origin were marketed in the United Kingdom in the years 1956, 1957, 1958, and to the latest available date in 1959.
§ The Minister of State, Board of Trade (Mr. J. K. Vaughan-Morgan)Import licences are not normally given for machines of Japanese origin and imports from Japan have in fact been negligible.
§ Mr. BenceThis is a factor which is causing great consternation in this country. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that there is a great belief in this country, among the trade in particular, that many of the sewing machines being imported from the British Commonwealth are in fact machines of Japanese origin which are sent into Commonwealth countries or into countries in trade agreement with this country and then sent to this country as of British manufacture?
§ Mr. Vaughan-MorganIt is quite true that some imports into this country may and do contain Japanese components, but they would, of course, have to comply with the normal rules about origin.