§ Mr. Henderson Stewartasked the President of the Board of Trade the object of the visit to the U.S.A. of members of the Furniture Industry Working Party; and if he is aware that the prime need of the British furniture industry is an adequate supply of timber rather than information about- American methods.
§ Mr. Belcher:The object of the visit to the U.S.A. of a few members of the Working Party for the furniture industry 260W ber of licences granted in each of the years 1940 to 1945, inclusive, of pictures, drawings, sculptures and works of art more than 75 years old, respectively; and what were the values in each category.
§ Mr. Marquand:The numbers of export licences issued for works of art, including paintings, drawings and sculptures, and other articles more than 75 years old were as follow:
1940 … … … 2,492 1941 … … … 5,668 1942 … … … 4,370 1943 … … … 4,780 1944 … … … 5,590 1945 … … … 7,300 Information is not available to answer the second part of the Question precisely. The following figures show the value of paintings in oil or water colour and drawings in ink, pencil and charcoal, framed or unframed, exported from the United Kingdom in the years 1940–45:
was to study methods of production. The Working Party are concerned with the long term problems of the industry, their devotion to which does not signify any failure on our part to recognise that the immediate problem is one of shortage of timber.
§ Mr. Henderson Stewartasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the dissatisfaction in the furnitur trade on account of the present and proposed importations of furniture from 261W Canada, Finland, Czechoslovakia arid Sweden, at a time when the British furniture trade is ready to undertake large scale production if timber were available; and if he will use the available shipping space to import timber instead of furniture from these countries and from British West African Colonies, thus re-establishing the British furniture industry and improving our balance of trade.
§ Mr. Belcher:No, Sir. I think the furniture trade understood the position which my right hon. and learned Friend explained on 10th December last in reply to a Question by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Wycombe (Flight-Lieutenant Haire).
§ Mr. T. Brownasked the President of the Board of Trade in view of the shortage in many districts of suitable timber for the manufacture of utility furniture, what steps are being taken by his Department to improve the position, as the situation is growing worse week by week.
§ Mr. Belcher:I am, of course, aware of the general shortage of timber, including timber suitable for furniture manufacture. If my hon. Friend has in mind shortages in particular districts arising from the process of allocating the available supplies, I should be glad of further particulars, since I am not aware that there is any unevenness in distribution to manufacturers.