§ Sir G. STRICKLANDasked the President of the Board of Trade what are the latest available returns of bales of cotton produced within the Empire and imported into England by the two cotton-growing organisations working with the assistance of the Colonial Office and by the organisations working independently with the good offices of the Foreign Office; and is he prepared to take steps towards the co-ordination of cotton-growing activities under one Department.
Mr. SAMUELThe total quantity of raw cotton, excluding linters, imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1401W during the year 1925 and registered as consigned from countries within the British Empire (except British India) amounted to 251,750 bales of 400 lbs. It is not possible to indicate the proportions of these imports which were financed or otherwise controlled by the various organisations engaged in promoting the production of cotton within the Empire; but I may point out that the Empire Cotton Growing Corporation does not import any cotton, and the amount imported directly by the British Cotton Crowing Association is no measure of the activities of that body. As regards the second part of the question, I would remind my hon. Friend that both the Departments which he mentions are represented on the Executive Committee of the Empire Cotton Growing Corporation and work in close co-operation with that organisation. I do not think any further measure of co-ordination is requisite.