HL Deb 06 February 1946 vol 139 c287
LORD BEAVERBROOK

My Lords, I beg to ask the second question standing in my name.

[The question was as follows:

Whereas the report of the London Wool Conference discloses that wool from the United Kingdom was sold abroad at is. 6d. per lb. down to June 1940; to ask His Majesty's Government whether they agree that our present stock of wool, stated at 3,250 million lb., would be worth more than £240 millions, if valued at this 1940 price.]

LORD PAKENHAM

My Lords, the quality and price of wool vary widely, as the noble Lord will be aware. Sales during the war years have been mainly of the better wools, with the result that the average value of the remaining stock is considerably lower than for sales already made. It would, therefore, be misleading to value the stock of 3,250,000,000 lb. on the basis of earlier sales.