HC Deb 11 October 1946 vol 427 c99W
Mr. Boothby

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give, in round figures, an estimate of our essential annual import requirements, in order to ensure the smooth functioning at a high level of activity of our available factors of production

Sir S. Cripps

Our essential import requirements naturally vary from year to year according to the needs of different industries and the supply of materials from home production. Owing to world shortages we cannot in the near future hope to get as much as some of our industries could use at full capacity. 'I cannot yet give any figures for 1947.