§ Mr. Messerasked the President of the Board of Trade if any steps are being taken to deal with the difficulty of the shortage of supply of bottles in respect to the export trade of a firm the name of which has been sent to him.
§ Captain WaterhouseIn consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply and my right hon. and gallant Friend the Minister of Food, I am endeavouring to get more workers for the glass bottle industry. In the meantime, owing to shortage of labour, the output of bottles is insufficient to meet all demands, and preference has to be given to bottles required for medical supplies and for food and drink. I am afraid that, in the case of the firm to which the hon. Member refer sand other firms similarly placed, export trade must temporarily suffer so that these priority demands can be satisfied.