§ 86. Mr. Edelmanasked the President of the Board of Trade which imported commodities are bought on behalf of his Department; and in which cases he has made arrangements for forward deliveries to cover the requirements of British industry in 1951.
§ Mr. RhodesThe imported commodities purchased by the Board of Trade are softwood and mining timber from dollar and Eastern European countries; plywood from dollar countries, Sweden, Finland and the U.S.S.R.; raw jute and jute goods; true hemp; sulphur, pyrites, phosphate rock, superphosphates, basic slag and potash. Substantial contracts 7W have been placed towards covering the expected need for dollar softwood during 1951, and contracts for true hemp are being negotiated in order to cover our 1951 requirements. Our requirements of pyrites are covered until the end of 1951 but imports of sulphur depend on the allocations we obtain from the United States. Our fertilisers and fertiliser materials are covered in accordance with normal practices up to the end of the current fertiliser year. The remainder of the materials are being purchased where available in accordance with normal commercial practice.