91. Lieut.-Colonel Schofieldasked the President of the Board of Trade what amount of cotton textiles are being imported from dollar and other hard currency countries at the present time.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftImports of cotton yarn and manufactures in the first three months of 1952 from the dollar area were valued at £577,000, from non-sterling O.E.E.C. countries and their dependencies at £8,472,000 and from other non-sterling countries at £3,037,000.
I should add that imports of cotton textiles on private account from the dollar area are allowed only under the Token Import Scheme, expenditure on which has been reduced by a quarter this year compared with last; that no further licences are being granted for the time being for the import of cotton textiles from Japan, except in relation to outstanding commitments; and that the substitution of quotas from the recently cancelled Open General Licences for imports of cotton textiles from O.E.E.C. and certain other countries will reduce imports from these sources substantially.