§ 88. Mr. Harry Howarthasked the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with the trade in deciding how to dispose of 800,000 pairs of army boots which are surplus to requirements; and how many pairs he intends to put on the home market each year.
§ Mr. MasonA meeting was held with the British Footwear Manufacturers Federation on 11th October, 1967, and we propose to arrange another meeting very soon.
We intend to spread out sales of these boots over a number of years, but it is too soon to say just how many will be put on the home market each year until we have held the further meeting with the trade. These quantities will also depend on the outcome of our efforts to sell the boots in overseas markets.