§ Sir W. Smithersasked the President of the Board of Trade the percentage of food and raw materials and their value that Britain must import to maintain the 1938 standard of living.
§ Sir S. CrippsThe increase in imports of materials needed to enable us to produce 75 per cent. more exports than in 1938 is of the same order of magnitude as the decline in food imports resulting from the increase in home agricultural production. Probably, therefore, the same volume of retained imports of food and materials would be required now as in 1938 to maintain the 1938 standard, of living. For goods classed as food, drink and tobacco and raw materials, retained imports in 1938 were valued at £635 million; at present day prices, the value-would be rather more than £1,300 million.