§ 2.41 p.m.
LORD HAWKEMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Barnby, I beg to ask the Question which stands in his name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of Government encouragement to restrict acreage in cotton-growing countries, particularly Egypt and U.S.A., a course which contributes to sustaining high prices for cotton with artificial reaction on price of other commercial fibres, they will state the stocks of (a) Egyptian, (b) U.S.A. origins held in this country on December 31, 1952, and the same relative stocks as of December 31, 1950 and 1951, or the nearest reportable date. In the event of such figures being unavailable for the whole country, will they state the relative figures of such stocks held by the Raw Cotton Commission on the dates mentioned.]
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, the total stocks of raw cotton held in the United Kingdom were 233,000 tons on December 31, 1952, and 285,000 tons and 282,000 tons at the corresponding dates in 1950 and 1951 respectively. It would not be in accordance with the usual practice to disclose what portions of these stocks come from particular countries or are of particular types.