§ Mr. Malcolm MacPhersonasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken during the last six months to increase exports of cast-iron goods; and with what success.
§ Mr. MackesonIn so far as our exports of cast-iron goods are limited by import restrictions in Commonwealth countries overseas, we have endeavoured to ensure that such restrictions are relaxed as soon as the balance of payments of the various countries permits. Our overseas officers in the principal markets for cast-iron goods have been asked to pay particular attention to the possibility of improving the overseas sales of these products, but in the many unrestricted markets the initiative for increasing their overseas sales must rest primarily with the trade. From the annual rate of exports of the main kinds of cast-iron goods in the first six months of this year it would seem that exports are being fairly well maintained this year as compared with 1952.