§ Sir L. Lyleasked the President of the Board of Trade how many of the 90,000 domestic wireless sets which were in process of manufacture last midsummer have 1226W been completed and placed on the market; how many similar supplies have been received in the last six months from the United States; how they have been distributed; whether sets of simple standard designs are now being manufactured in Great Britain; and when these will be available for the public?
§ Mr. DaltonBetween 1st June and 30th September about 14,000 of the sets in process of manufacture earlier this year have been completed and marketed. This is disappointing, and I have taken steps to urge manufacturers to expedite the agreed civilian programme during the remainder of the year. Some 8,000 sets have recently been imported from the United States and will shortly be released through normal trade channels. As I informed my hon. Friend the Member for Evesham (Mr. De la Bère) on 8th June, discussions were then proceeding with the trade on the manufacture of sets of a simple standard design, but I added that no sets of this type could be available until next year. A design has now been agreed, and deliveries of raw materials and components have been planned.