§ 98. Mr. Randallasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that a certain running mill, of which he has been informed, has been stopped, the operatives given notice and the machinery dismantled, prior to being shipped abroad; and, in view of the extreme difficulty of 12W purchasing textile machinery in this country, together with the consequences such exports of machinery to foreign lands will have upon the industry, if he will take steps to stop this practice.
§ Sir S. CrippsI assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Meadows cotton spinning and weaving mill at Bacup, which is being closed by the owners. Before any machinery from the mill is exported, a licence will have to be obtained from the Board of Trade, and this will be granted only if we are satisfied that the machinery is not needed for the re-equipment of mills in the United Kingdom.