§ Mr. Lyonsasked the President of the Board of Trade whether in seeking to help British firms to compete in the ex port markets, he has been able to persuade British manufacturers in any industry to agree among themselves to abolish non-essential variations in patterns, sizes, designs, and grades of quality so as to reduce production costs by the elimination of waste among individual firms competing between themselves, and, as an industry, when seeking overseas trade in competition with foreign firms?
§ Mr. CrossThe task of assisting industry in regard to standardisation is, with the approval of the Government, undertaken by the British Standards Institution, and I understand that under the institution's auspices many industries have reduced their costs by limiting the number of types, sizes and qualities of their products.