§ 75 and 76. Mr. McCannasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will give the figures of full chrome calf and hide upper leather which have been imported from Commonwealth sources each year since 1952;
(2) if he is aware that Commonwealth leather is being sold in this country at 15 to 20 per cent. below the cost of production in the United Kingdom, and that this is the only country with an established leather industry which admits leather free of import
UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS OF DRESSED UPPER LEATHER (OTHER THAN REPTILE) FROM THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE IRISH REPUBLIC WERE: 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 Commodity Tons £m. Tons £m. Tons £m. Tons £m. Tons £m. Tons £m. Box and willow calf, including box veals 163 0.3 344 0.5 317 0.5 351 0.6 436 0.7 413 0.6 Box and willow sides 313 0.5 599 1.0 659 1.0 958 1.3 1,045 1.4 1,440 1.7 Other chrome tanned hide and upper leather … … 343 0.4 793 0.9 613 0.8 1,177 1.0 2,123 1.6 2,135 1.8 Total from Commonwealth and Irish Republic … … 819 1.2 1,735 2.4 1,589 2.3 2,486 2.9 3,604 3.7 3,988 4.1 Total all sources … 1,115 1.9 2,198 3.5 2,262 3.7 3,495 4.8 4,345 5.2 4,746 5.5