§ Mr. Liddallasked the President of the Board of Trade how many meetings of the Export Council, or of its committees, have been held since the Council was constituted; and how many of those meetings has he attended and how many have been attended by the adviser on economic organisation?
§ Sir A. DuncanThe full Export Council has fortnightly meetings. There have so far been four meetings, at all of which both Lord Stamp and I have been present. The members of the Council who constitute its Executive Committee are devoting their whole time to its work. They are continuously in touch with one another and with me. Meetings of the Executive Committee are held frequently.
§ Mr. Liddallasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will describe the work of the Export Council at home and overseas since 13th February last, beyond the formation of export groups of industries; and whether he has formed any estimate of the increase of export sales of British products and services secured with the assistance of the Export Council which would not have been obtained in the normal course by the firms concerned?
§ Sir A. DuncanThe first task of the Export Council has been the formation of export groups in the different industries. The Executive Members of the Council have been in constant touch with these groups and other industrial and trading organisations and with the Government Departments concerned, with a view to finding solutions to the many problems confronting the export trade at the present time. As regards the second part of the Question, no estimate of this kind can be made.