§ 28. Mr. Teelingasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider building, purchasing, or fitting out a ship, suitable to be used as a floating trade fair ship, similar to the one the Japanese are now using for international visits.
§ Mr. MaudlingNo, Sir. All our information goes to show, as far as the United Kingdom is concerned, both that the results to be obtained from such fairs are not worth the heavy expense involved and that industry prefers to participate in established trade fairs on land.
§ Mr. TeelingWill my right hon. Friend tell us whether he has discussed this matter with our embassy in Tokyo? Is he aware that the Japanese have fitted out ships of this kind and are having a tremendous success with them throughout the world?
§ Mr. MaudlingWe have a good deal of information about these ships, and have discussed them with our Exhibitions Advisory Committee. On the whole, however, the cost of providing space in a ship is about four times the cost for a land exhibition. My impression is that, although many people visit these ships, not a large amount of trade flows from those visits.