§ Sir G. Gibsonasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is yet in possession of information respecting the sale of 500,000 pairs of second-hand Army boots by Max Newman, of Manchester, to a firm in Eire; and what is the nature of the information?
§ Captain WaterhouseI understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply that 311,840 pairs of worn Service boots were sold to Newman. Worn boots were made subject to export licensing in February, 1942, and since then a number of licences have been granted for the export to Eire of about 190,000 pairs of boots in an unserviceable and unrepaired condition. The possibility of repairing them for civilian use in this country was fully explored but rejected because the shortage is of soling material, not upper leather, and the use of sole leather on these boots would be uneconomical.