§ Mr. Thorntonasked the President of the Board of Trade what action he now proposes to take to limit or control the imports of cotton textile fabrics from India, Japan and Hong Kong, which in recent months have grown at an alarming rate and are now threatening to cause large-scale unemployment and part-time working in the Lancashire cotton textile industry.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI would refer the hon. Member to my statement on this matter on 3rd February.
65W
§ Sir F. Markhamasked the President of the Board of Trade from which countries asbestos fibre was imported in 1954, giving the quantities and values of each; and if he will give the corresponding figures for exports from the United Kingdom during the same period.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftThe Trade Accounts do not distinguish between crude asbestos and asbestos fibre. Imports, exports and re-exports of asbestos, crude and fibre, in 1954 were: —
IMPORTS Country Ton £ Cyprus 1,716 115,713 Union of South Africa 17,822 1,124,106 Southern Rhodesia 39,094 3,983,026 Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland 10,364 898,398 Australia 23 2,812 Canada 41,289 2,564,000 Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania 292 6,688 Belgium 18 1,441 Italy 11 4,545 Portuguese East Africa 55 5,833 United States of America 22 1,392 All other countries 99 3,615 Total 110,805 8,711,569 66W
EXPORTS Country Ton £ Union of South Africa 18 2,319 India 282 29,208 Australia 67 6,927 New Zealand 37 4,514 Canada 569 50,770 Irish Republic 26 1,371 Finland 18 1,629 Sweden 119 10,214 Norway 116 12,055 Denmark 188 19,919 France 315 36,278 Switzerland 118 12,123 Spain 46 4,611 Italy 245 25,049 Hungary 44 5,148 Netherlands Antilles 129 13,701 Egypt 10 1,018 Japan 73 7,830 United States of America 184 26,392 Colombia 116 14,131 Western Germany 511 49,206 Netherlands 411 38,510 Belgium 119 15,146 Peru 9 1,514 Argentine Republic 54 5,109 All other countries 67 5,114 Total 3,891 399,806
RE-EXPORTS Country Ton £ Union of South Africa 17 4,108 Western Germany 90 9,668 Netherlands 52 1,784 France 244 22,096 Italy 2 1,067 Japan 14 1,600 United States of America 46 5,730 All other countries 46 2,876 Total 511 48,929