§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that there has been a great increase in the imports of cotton piece goods during the past 11 months, while our exports of cotton piece goods are down by over 1,000,000,000 yards in the same period; and whether he is taking any steps to increase the exports?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMThe statement in the first part of the question concerning exports is correct, but net imports increased in the period mentioned by little more than 2 per cent. as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. In reply to the second part of the question, the efforts which the Government are making to encourage and aid the industry in placing itself upon a better competitive basis have, of course, as their object the stimulation of the export trade. I may refer, in this connection, to the Economic Mission to the Far East to which is attached a Special Cotton Mission; the Economic Mission which recently returned from South Africa and the Rhodesias; the Trade Mission which leaves shortly for Egypt; and the Cotton Exhibition which is about to be held in conjunction with the British Industries Fair.