HC Deb 10 June 1947 vol 438 cc82-3W
59. Colonel Ropner

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make any forecast of the total amount of hardwood and softwood timber which will be imported from Germany in 1947.

Mr. Belcher

In the first half of 1947, arrivals from the original British zone in Germany of softwood, mainly in the form of logs, are estimated to amount to 263,000 tons and of hardwood to 21,000 tons. During the same period expected arrivals from the original U.S. zone are 22,000 standards of sawn softwood. Owing to the uncertainties of the conditions of the production and shipment of timber from Germany, I should hesitate to make a definite estimate at present of arrivals in the second six months, but I hope they will not be less.