§ 18. Mr. H. A. Priceasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, since the end of the war, Thomas Owen and Company, Limited, of Cardiff, have spent approximately half a million pounds upon the installation of machinery for the making of paper from home-grown straw at the request of His Majesty's Government, and that, as a result of Government policy with regard to the importation and allocation of paper-making raw materials, the bulk of that expenditure has become abortive; and what steps he proposes to take in this matter, bearing in mind the importance of the paper-making industry and the necessity of maintaining a high and stable level of employment in South Wales.
Mr. H. WilsonNo. While we are naturally glad to see the utmost use being made of home-produced raw materials such as straw, the project was undertaken as an ordinary commercial venture with the approval but not at the request of His Majesty's Government. I should, however, be willing to consider any ways in which help might be given as regards the types of paper to be made out of the firm's supplies of woodpulp, which are now subject to private purchase. His Majesty's Government has no further pulp to issue.
§ 19. Mr. H. A. Priceasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the South Wales Board Mills Limited, which have spent a large sum of money over the past two years in the erection of a new mill at Newport for the 169W manufacture of box boards and cartons have now stopped work owing to the refusal by his Department to allocate the necessary raw materials; and if, in view of the importance of this industry and of the necessity of maintaining a high and stable level of employment in South Wales, he will review this matter at once.
Mr. H. WilsonNo. I understand that this factory will take another 15 months to complete when work is started again. It was designed to make boards from straw and waste paper with a little mechanical pulp added. All these raw materials are open to private purchase and the first two can be consumed without
New Factories and Extensions of 5,000 sq. ft. and over approved, completed and under construction in the development areas between June, 1945, and end of January, 1950 Development Area Finace Total Approved Completed Under Costruction Scottish … … … … Government … 235 187 44 Private … … 286 167 53 Total … 521 354 97 North-Eastern … … … Government … 152 132 15 Private … … 284 153 69 Total … 436 285 84 West Cumberland … … … Government … 28 25 1 Private … … 18 6 5 Total … 46 31 6 South Wales and Monmouthshire … Government … 173 129 27 Private … … 184 79 45 Total … 357 208 72 Wrexham … … … … Government … 1 — 1 Private … … 25 9 4 Total … 26 9 5 South Lancashire … … … Government … 17 8 3 Private … … 63 35 3 Total … 80 43 6 Merseyside … … … … Government … 4 — — Private … … 151 56 9 Total … 155 56 9 Total of Development Areas … Government … 610 481 91 Private … … 1,011 505 188 Total … 1,621 986 279