§ 82. Sir R. Rossasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the shirt and collar trade in Northern Ireland is at present allocated wholly inadequate quantities of material and is, consequently, unable to meet demands for export or home consumption; and what steps are being taken to deal with this situation.
§ Mr. Belcher:It is not a question of allocation, but a general shortage of the more popular shirtings. Following arrangements made some time ago, there should shortly be a substantial increase in deliveries. Moreover, considerable quantities of surplus Government cloth are being diverted to the shirt trade, and Northern Ireland will benefit very substantially.
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