Captain A. EVANSasked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the effect the growing scarcity and increased costs of materials such as coke, coal, pig iron, and steel is having upon the engineering industry owing to the quantities of these materials now being exported to Germany following the Ruhr occupation, if he will take immediate steps to relieve the present position and to
Country whence consigned. Value of Merchandise imported into the United Kingdom. 1921. 1922. All Articles. Articles Wholly or mainly manufactured. All Articles. Amount. Amount. Proportion of Total Imports. Amount. £ £ Per cent. £ Germany … … 20,514,000 18,451,000 89.9 26,524,000 United States … … 274,750,000 71,880,000 26.2 222,013,000 France … … 53,014,000 33,950,000 64.0 48,620,000 Canada … … 61,975,000 3,212,000 5.5 54,895,000 Australia … … 68,070,000 2,553,000 3.8 64,863,000 New Zealand … … 48,736,000 200,000 0.4 48,522,000 South Africa (Union of) … … 18,671,000 190,000 1.0 16,152,000 India (British) … … 44,308,000 6,463,000 14.6 47,681,000 The value of the consignments from Germany in 1922 includes £24,564,000 72W safeguard the engineering industry from this handicap?
§ Viscount WOLMERI am aware of the situation created by the increased demands of the export trade in the I commodities mentioned, but I am satisfied that the producers are making all reasonable efforts to increase production, and I do not think that intervention by the Government would be likely in present circumstances to be advantageous.