§ 72. Mr. Haireasked the President of the Board of Trade what efforts have recently been made by his Department to market metal furniture in the United States of America; at what cost; and with what results.
§ Mr. BottomleyAs regards the first part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Oxford (Mr. Hogg) on 20th January. The cost incurred in connection with the exhibition of prototypes in the United States was £5,331. The reports of the exhibition—which was purely exploratory—suggested that there were good grounds for hoping that a market could be built up in the United States and Canada for this type of furniture. It would, however, come in a high price range and success would depend on maintaining the highest standards of design and craftsmanship. The Board of Trade invited furniture manufacturers and others to consider the opportunities presented of developing and exploiting these export possibilities. Certain proposals have been made, which are now being considered.