§ 77. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the President of the Board of Trade what reply he sent to the letter he received from Messrs. Richards Limited, of Bradford Works, Aberdeen, on the Anglo-Japanese Commercial Treaty; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GreenI assume that the hon. Member is referring to the letter addressed to the Board of Trade Office at Inverness, which inquired why, although fire hose and canvas made of cotton were treated as "sensitive" under the Anglo-Japanese Commercial Treaty, similar products made of flax were not.
155WThe criterion for inclusion in the "sensitive list", as explained in the Government White Paper, was a strong presumption that unless import restrictions were continued, an increase in imports causing serious injury would ensue forthwith. Having regard to the relative size of production and exports in the two countries, no such presumption could be made in the case of flax and linen goods. An explanation on these lines is being addressed to Messrs. Richards Ltd.