HL Deb 06 April 1965 vol 265 c8

2.50 p.m.

VISCOUNT LONG

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what policy they propose to take to encourage the sheepskin tanners, and especially those who are splitters, to increase their exports.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, BOARD OF TRADE (LORD RHODES)

My Lords, may I thank the noble Viscount for his courtesy in the matter of this Question and say that the sheepskin tanners will, I hope, benefit from the export rebate of 14 per cent. for these goods and from the other measures which the Government have announced to assist exporters generally.

VISCOUNT LONG

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for his reply. Am I to understand, with regard to the export of animals on the foot, and skins and pelts, that the tanners will now have a chance of getting an allocation of those skins instead of having to import foreign skins of an inferior quality?

LORD RHODES

My Lords, I am afraid we cannot agree to restrict the export like that. I can understand that a free market in that raw material creates a problem for the tanners, but as a nation we live very largely by processing raw materials which we import from others, and it would be against our wider interests to adopt measures which would encourage countries which produce good raw materials to withhold them from the world's markets.

VISCOUNT LONG

Then, my Lords, as I understand the noble Lord, the Government's policy cannot help these tanners in any way.

LORD RHODES

My Lords, we are helping in the export of the skins by the export rebate.

VISCOUNT ADDISON

My Lords, can the noble Lord enlighten me on the expression "splitter"?

LORD RHODES

My Lords, a "splitter", so I understand, is the person who separates the flesh side of a sheepskin from the outside, which is called the "grain".