§ Mr. SHEPHERDasked the Secretary for the Overseas Trade Department the number of firms who have applied for space at Olympia to date, compared with the total number of firms exhibiting at Olympia in 1930 and 1931 and at the White City in 1929?
Sir H. YOUNGThe London section of the British Industries Fair is not confined to Olympia; part of that section was held at the White City in 1931, and will be held there again in 1932. The relevant figures for numbers of exhibitors and of space occupied are as follow:
— Exhibitors. Sq. ft. 1929 at the White City 1,466 319,632 1930 at Olympia 1,079 250,509 1931 at Olympia and White City. 1,268* 336,044 *Of which 1,152 were at Olympia. The applications for space for the 1932 Fair are already:
- Olympia: 728 exhibitors for 241,639 square feet;
- White City: 110 exhibitors for 64,300 square feet;
- Total: 838 exhibitors for 305,039 square feet.
At the corresponding date last year the applications for space were 917 exhibitors for 269,300 square feet.
§ Mr. L SMITHasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether, in view of the fact that over 90 per cent. of the figures and models at Olympia in the last fair were of foreign manufacture, steps are to be taken by his Department to prohibit the use of foreign goods in this connection at the 1932 fair?
Sir H. YOUNGAs stated in reply to a question by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Dulwich (Sir F. Hall) in February last, the regulations of the British Industries Fair stipulate that all exhibits must have been manu- 39W factured mainly within the British Empire. To apply this stipulation to materials for the display of exhibits would handicap exhibitors in that display. I propose, however, to issue a special appeal to all exhibitors to utilise British figures and models to the utmost extent possible.