73. Mr. Scott-Elliotasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that there is still a shortage of thick knitting wool of good quality; and what further steps he is taking to make good this deficiency.
§ Mr. BelcherThe average monthly production of handknitting wool for the home market in the first five months of this86W year was slightly higher than the average for the last six months of 1947 and supplies in the shops are slowly improving. I have no information to suggest that thick knitting wool of good quality is in shorter supply than other types of handknitting yarn. The shortage of wool handknitting yarns is mainly due to shortage of labour in the spinning mills. Every effort is being made to increase the labour force and thereby to increase production, but handknitting yarn is a very valuable export and further increases in output must go largely for this purpose.