§ 72. Captain Duncanasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the pre-war price of manilla rope used by fishermen was 39s. a coil and that the present price for similar sisal rope is£9 a coil; and what steps he is taking to reduce these prices.
§ Mr. RhodesSisal rope prices are nearly four times as high as they were in 1939 because we have to pay seven times as much for sisal fibre as we did before the war. Maximum prices of sisal rope are agreed by the Central Price Regulation Committee and allow no more than a reasonable margin of profit for the manufacturers. I am afraid that only a fall in world prices of sisal can reduce44W the present high prices of hard fibre rope and twine.