THE EARL OF MANSFIELDasked His Majesty's Government if they will state, from the end of hostilities in Europe to the nearest convenient date, the total imports of timber, both by volume and value, from Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the U.S.S.R., Canada, the United States of America, and other countries respectively; if they will also state the amount of timber produced from home sources over the same period; and if they are now able to give an assurance that no further inroads will be made upon the very small amounts of mature timber now left in this country, having regard to the fact that these remnants have been already depleted far below the level required for national security.
§ LORD CHORLEYThe following table shows the imports, by volume and value, of and timber during the period June, 1945—October, 1946: 515WA
Country. Quantity. Thousand tons. Value. £000 Germany 149 1,125 Norway 41 294 Sweden 1,254 17,976 Finland 825 7,112 U.S.S.R. 38 508 Canada 2,456 35,118 United States of America 285 6,264 Other countries 343 4,991 Total imports of wood and timber 5,391 73,388 The amount of timber produced from home sources from June, 1945, to August, 1946 (the latest available date) was 349,000 tons of softwood, 1,090,000 tons of hardwood and 1,307,000 tons of mining timber.
The Government are fully alive to the importance of keeping the continued calls upon home woodlands as low as possible, but the country continues to be dependent on such supplies to an important extent for the domestic furniture, railway and other essential programmes.
UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE (DETERMINATION OF NEED AND ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1946.
516WASUPPLEMENTARY PENSIONS (DETERMINATION OF NEED AND ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1946.
Report from the Special Orders Committee, That they have examined the Special Orders as required by the Standing Orders of the House; that they have considered an Explanatory Memorandum by the Unemployment Assistance Board; that in their opinion the Orders raise important questions of policy and principle; that the Orders are founded on precedent; that in the opinion of the Committee the Orders cannot be passed by the House without special attention, but that no further inquiry is necessary before the House proceeds to a decision on the Resolutions to approve the said Orders.
Read, and ordered to lie on the Table.