§ Mr. ERNEST JARDINEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the increase in the Swiss export of lace and embroidery, exceeding the whole German export to this country for 1914, he is now prepared to take effective measures for preventing lace and embroidery of enemy origin or part origin from reaching this country?
Mr. HARCOURTThe increase in the value of imports from Switzerland to which the hon. Member directs attention is no doubt due to increase in prices as well as to the absence of competition from Germany. Imports from Switzerland are only permitted if they are accompanied by certificates of origin issued by British consular officers. The question of the conditions on which these certificates should be issued is at present under consideration.
§ Mr. JARDINEasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is aware that the usual tonnage space allotment is 40 cubic feet per ton, and that the imports of lace and embroidery occupy on an average 257 cubic feet per ton; whether the Restriction of Imports Committee have considered the saving in tonnage space which would be effected by the prohibition of lace and embroidery; (2) whether he is aware that, by reasons connected with the War, the Nottingham, Long Eaton, and district lace trade has lost 54 per cent, of its twisthands, and 80 per cent, of its threaders, replacing the latter by women, and has, despite this loss in labour, maintained an export of £2,852,854 in 1915, and for the five months ended 31st May, 1916, had exported £1,794,145, at the rate of £4,250,000 per annum; whether he will say on what grounds, and for how long, he proposes to permit the import of lace and embroidery, which in 1915 amounted to £3,922,104, to be continued; (3) whether he is aware that the new list of prohibitions of imports forbids the entry of many articles of cotton piece goods necessary for the embroidery trade and for the clothing of the masses, but permits the import of lace and embroidery (which are 553W classified by his Department as luxuries) to the average annual value of £4,000,000; whether he proposes to take any action in the matter; and (4) whether he is aware that the Swiss export of cotton, silk, and part-silk lace to the United Kingdom did not for the five years prior to the War exceed £20,935, and that in 1915 the value of the Swiss export in the same articles amounted to £227,022; and whether, in view of the decision of the Reserved Occupations Committee not to reserve lace workers on the ground that the product is a luxury, he proposes to take any action in the matter?
Mr. HARCOURTThe suggestion that imports of lace and embroidery should be prohibited was conveyed in a question addressed to the President of the Board of Trade by the hon. Member for East Nottingham on 12th April, and I cannot add to the reply given on that occasion, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.
§ Mr. JARDINEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any knowledge of the source from which Holland has obtained her goods for lace and embroidery export amounting for 1915 to the value of £29,015; whether he is aware that Holland possesses no facilities for manufacture and that prior to 1914 her mximum export of these goods was £1,475; whether he is aware that under the existing import restrictions embroidery manufacturers in Nottingham and district cannot obtain supplies of organdies (the raw material of their trade) and their machines are idle in consequence, and that Swiss organdie manufacturers are selling this product to our Swiss competitors, who have a free market here for the embroidered article?
Mr. HARCOURTI have no information as to the sources of the materials for the manufacture of embroidery and lace in Holland. According to the Dutch statistics, the total exports of these articles to all countries in 1913 were valued at £20,550. If the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any applications for licences to import organdies which have been refused I will have inquiry made.
§ Mr. JARDINEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, in the original Proclamation, dated 25th March, 1916, prohibiting the import of cotton manufactured goods of all kinds except lace and hosiery, the term lace 554W has been defined by the Controller of the Department of Import Restrictions as not including embroidery, thereby leading the embroidery manufacturers to believe that Swiss embroideries were prohibited from import; that the Director of Import Restrictions has also informed representatives of the Nottingham trade associations that embroideries are not included in the prohibition; and whether, seeing that this later definition extends the terms of the original Proclamation, he will say by whose authority such extension was made and upon what date it was publicly notified?
Mr. HARCOURTThe fact that embroidery was not regarded as included in the prohibition on the import of cotton manufactures was announced by the Controller of the Department of Import Restrictions on 27th March. The decision is included in the list of decisions of the Controller which forms Departmental Notification No. 1, published on the 9th June.