§ 27. Mr. Wilkesasked the President of the Board of Trade why the price of a utility top-coat for a child of two to three years of age is £5 or thereabouts; and what investigation has been, or is to be, undertaken to see whether the high price of children's utility coats bears a proper relation to the costs of manufacture.
Mr. H. WilsonThe maximum retail selling prices for utility overcoats of sizes 18 in. to 22 in. range from £2 13s. 7d. to £5 7s. 8d. according to the quality of cloth. These prices are based on an examination of manufacturers' costs and trading results by the accountant adviser to the Board of Trade and take into account subsequent increases in prices of the cloths from which the garments are made. Distributors' margins on clothing and textiles are kept under review in the light of detailed information as to operating expenses.