§ Lieut. - Colonel Bromley - Davenportasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the continued concern felt by shirt, collar, and tie manufacturers about the imports of shirts from Hong Kong ; whether he is aware that the 1956 rate of importation, measured in terms of numbers of garments, is equivalent to about 20 per cent. of the home trade output ; and whether he will give further consideration to the matter in view of the possible effect on the employment position of workers in the trade in this country.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI am aware that there is concern in the industry about these imports. Up-to-date information of the number of shirts produced in the United Kingdom is not available, but I am always ready to discuss with the industry methods of improving the statistics of production. The best estimate I can make of the number of shirts imported from Hong Kong as a proportion of the total number produced in the United Kingdom in the year ending June, 1956, is that it was between 10 and 20 per cent. In terms of value these imports represent less than 5 per cent. of production in the same period. The figures also indicate that the value of shirts produced in the United Kingdom, though lower than in the years 1951–53 increased 67W in 1955 compared with 1954 and the rate of production has increased again this year. In these circumstances I can see no justification for action inconsistent with our general Commonwealth commercial policy.