HC Deb 31 March 1944 vol 398 c1705W
Mr. W. Robinson

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many wool blankets were recently released for sale by retailers; whether, for purposes of retail trade, the areas to which they were distributed was prescribed by his Department; and why the retailers of such commodities in the borough of St. Helens were not granted an allocation of these blankets, as the need for such bedding in that town is great.

Mr. Dalton

The number of wool blankets surplus to Government requirements which, in addition to the small current production, have recently been released for distribution through trade channels is 100,000. This very limited supply was distributed on the instructions of my Department to places where the shortage of blankets was known to be exceptionally severe. All these, according to my information, were worse supplied than St. Helens, but I have called for a special report.