§ 48. Mr. Barnettasked the President of the Broad of Trade when he will make a statement on assistance to be given to the cotton textile industry in Lancashire, with particular reference to a cotton commission, and on negotiations with other countries as to their taking a higher proportion of cotton textile imports.
§ Mr. JayThe Lancashire industry is now engaged in vigorous and effective reorganisation, which must not be impeded by excessive imports; and I informed the Cotton Board last month that we would work in consultation with them on plans and machinery to ensure this consistently with our obligations to less developed countries.
Other Western nations are, in accordance with their undertakings in the G.A.T.T., increasing their cotton textile imports from these countries; but I 214W shall continue to urge them, both in personal contacts and in international discussions, as I have already, to accelerate the rate of this increase.