HC Deb 03 February 1948 vol 446 cc260-1W
87. Mr. Teeling

asked the President of the Board of Trade why chinaware and glass are not being purchased from Bavaria for use in the hotels of Great Britain; to what countries such chinaware and glass are being exported by the bizonal authorities; and whether any representative of his Department visited the Export Exhibition in Munich.

Mr. Bottomley

Import Licences for glass and chinaware from the combined British and American zones of Germany were issued during 1947, and it is probable that some of these imports went to the hotel industry. We have, however, for several months been obliged to regard the combined zones as a hard currency source of supply and this situation is expected to continue. Consequently, I am afraid that it will not be possible to import additional quantities. It is understood from the Joint Export-Import Agency that glass products and chinaware and clay products have been exported from the combined zones to the following countries in addition to the United Kingdom-Belgium, Luxemburg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.S.A. A representative of the Board of Trade has visited the Munich Export Exhibition.