§ Major Procterasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any information to show how many cotton mills are now working full time and the extent to which deliveries are being delayed for several months owing to the scrapping of spindles during recent years; and how many spindles have been scrapped by the Spindles Board or sold by that board for scrapping since it came into being?
Mr. StanleyI have no information as to the number of cotton mills now working full time, but I have no reason to believe that any difficulty there may be in obtaining quick delivery of yarn is due to a shortage of spindles. As regards the last part of the question, I would ask my hon. and gallant Friend to await the report which the Spindles Board are required to make under Section 20 of the Cotton Spinning Industry Act and which the Board of Trade are required to lay before the House.