§ 86. Colonel Wheatleyasked the President of the Board of Trade, if, in view of 199W the importance of the export trade, he will make a statement regarding the absence of a British pavilion at the recent trades exhibition at Stockholm.
§ Mr. MarquandI assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the St. Erik's Fair which was held from 24th August to 1st September. The attention of United Kingdom manufacturers was drawn to this fair, which has only recently assumed an international character, by an announcement in the "Board of Trade Journal," and I understand that a few United Kingdom products were exhibited by Swedish agents of United Kingdom firms.
The Government have accepted the recommendation of the Ramsden Committee that His Majesty's Government should undertake official participation in international trade fairs only when it is clear that industry intends to participate on an adequate scale. In this case that condition was not fulfilled, partly no doubt because there was little time available to arrange an adequate display.