HC Deb 18 March 1948 vol 448 cc269-70W
93. Mr. Randall

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the effort to secure expansion in the export of wool cloth, export licences for these goods are still necessary.

Mr. H. Wilson

Export licensing of wool cloth was originally imposed to safeguard supplies for the home market and to ensure that the limited exports permitted were sent to the countries dependent on us for essential supplies. More recently, as the total of exports has expanded, it has been employed to encourage the development of exports to the most desirable markets. The response of the woollen industry to the export drive is so good that there are now large quantities of cloth available for export, and I have therefore decided, after full discussion with the industry, to allow the export without a licence of wool cloth and blankets, apart from utility, as soon as the necessary order can be made. I shall, however, have to institute a supplementary, but much simpler, form of control to ensure that there is no diversion to the home market of cloth made for export.

Mr. Dumpleton

asked the President of the Board of Trade why Wool Control Circular DAL/3o2, withdrawing rebates on wool cloths as from 1st March was not accompanied by a new schedule prescribing ceiling prices, so as to avoid the necessity for merchants to hold stocks until new prices are fixed.

Mr. H. Wilson

I cannot accept the suggestion in my hon. Friend's Question. Most utility wool cloth now being delivered by manufacturers is partially subsidised, and the control over distributors' prices for this cloth, which is marked 'P,' is by the existing maximum margins only. Consequently no question of merchants' holding up stocks until ceiling prices are adjusted need arise. Ceiling prices for this cloth and new ceiling prices for unsubsidised cloth bearing no special distinguishing letter will be brought into force in about a month's time. A short interval between the issue of new prices for manufacturers and the issue of new ceiling prices for distributors should not cause inconvenience.