§ 77. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Supply what is the total output, from January, 1946, to date, of manufacturers in this country of electrical equipment and accessories; what was, and is, the allocation of these goods for export and home consumption, respectively; and how much of the latter was allocated to Aberdeen.
§ Mr. WilmotFollowing is the answer:
7W
Cumulative figures of production from 1st January, 1946, to 31st may, 1947, of the more important items of domestic electrical equipment and accessories Cookers … 243,338 Washboilers … 281,178 Immersion Heaters … 523,742 Auxiliary Water Storage … 99,593 Fires … 3,028,432 Refrigerators … 32,167 Thermostats … 898,393 Plugs … 15,827,131 Ceiling Roses … 7,546,976 Lampholders … 28,969,244 Switches … 16,946,578 Sockets … 9,179,247 Ceiling Blocks … 12,851,698 Conduit Boxes … 7,278,808 Meters … 1,716,548 Switch Fuses … 8,669,959 There is no specific allocation for export. In the case of items such as fires, water heaters and immersion heaters, export is being encouraged to the maximum possible extent, and manufacture for the home market curtailed, in view of the strain which these appliances impose on the generating capacity of the country. In the case of items urgently needed at home for the housing programme (e.g. plugs, sockets, conduit boxes) export is, by agreement with the trade, limited to a token figure not ex-ceding 10 per cent. of production. Distribution in the home market is made through normal trade channels, and I am unable to say what proportion of the total production went to Aberdeen.