HC Deb 17 October 1946 vol 427 cc259-60W
120. Sir J. Mellor

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give an assurance that boots and shoes will not be exported to countries with which we were recently at war, until adequate supplies are available for the home market.

Mr. Belcher

Exports of footwear are at present kept to a very low level to maintain supplies in this country; but we intend to leave it to exporters to decide upon the markets which they consider to be most advantageous to us in the future. I can assure the hon. Member, however, that no footwear of a kind in demand here will be used for relief or quasi-relief purposes in ex-enemy countries.