§ Mr. Baldwinasked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that Government and Service Departments are instructed that flax rug should be used as a packing material to the exclusion of wood wool; that this instruction is creating hardship in an industry which was of considerable service during war time; and whether he will now permit free competition as between these two packing materials.
§ Mr. G. R. StraussThere is no instruction issued by my Department which precludes the use of wood wool for packing Service stores. Its resilience and bulk density are lower than those of flax rug and it is not, therefore, effective when used for certain stores.