HC Deb 19 March 1925 vol 181 cc2503-4W
Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the members of the Committee which has been appointed to inquire into the machine-made lace and machine-made embroidery industry have special knowledge of the conditions of that industry and special knowledge of the economic conditions in the countries from which lace and embroidery are imported, respectively; if not, from what sources the Committee propose to obtain relevant information; whether the Committee will take evidence in public; whether interested parties may be represented at this inquiry by counsel or otherwise; and, if so, whether their representatives will have power to cross-examine witnesses?

Sir B. CHADWICK

All the members of the Committee served on the Committee which made a very full inquiry into the industries in question in 1923. With regard to the remainder of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to Section IV of the White Paper (Cmd. 2327) and to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Keighley (Mr. Lees-Smith) on the 24th February.