§ Mr. Holtasked the Minister of State, Board of Trade, as representing the Minister of Materials, if he will give a list of the raw materials of United Kingdom industries on which are imposed by Her Majesty's Government restrictions as to total annual quantity or value to be imported and the amount and nature of such restrictions for each raw material for the years 1953 and 1954.
Mr. AmoryIt is impracticable, within the compass of a Parliamentary answer, to give a complete description of the import licensing arrangements which apply to raw materials. A list is, however, given below of the main commodities within the field of responsibility of the Ministry of Materials for which specific licences limited by quantity or value are required for imports from non-sterling sources.
Materials available from the sterling area may, in general, be imported from there without restriction. In addition, most important raw materials may now be imported without restriction under open licence either from all or from certain specified non-sterling sources. The range of materials under open licence has been widened considerably since the beginning of 1953; for example, imports of cotton, hardwood, plywood, veneers and carbon black have been placed on open licence from all sources except the 7W dollar area, and imports of pyrites, bristles and molasses have been placed on open licence from all sources.
The following is the list of principal materials:
Specific Licences required for imports:
(a) from all non-sterling sources
Aluminium.
Magnesium.
Molybdenum and Tungsten Ores.
Sulphur.
True Hemp.
Woodpulp and other papermaking materials.
Paper and Board.
Newsprint.
Leather.
(b) from certain non-sterling sources (mainly or solely the dollar area)
Tin Ore.
Hardwood.
Plywood and Veneers.
Cotton (up to 31st August, 1954; thereafter, no restriction).
Cotton Linters.
Manila Hemp.
Synthetic Rubber.
Carbon Blacks.
Hides and Skins.
Potash.
Phosphate Rock.
Rosin.