HC Deb 30 January 1978 vol 943 cc63-4W
Mr. Cormack

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many upholstered bases for mattresses, excluding mattresses 120 cm in width and over, were sold in Staffordshire during the second quarter of 1977; and what conclusions he draws from this information

Mr. Les Huckfield,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 26th January 1978; Vol. 942, c. 723–4], gave the following information:

I regret that my Department does not collect statistics relating to sales of mattresses by county. 243,000 upholstered bases for mattresses under 120 cm in width, to the value of £3,797,000 were sold in the second quarter of 1977 by United Kingdom manufacturers employing 25 or more persons.

Mr. Cormack

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many cushions of sponge and foam rubber and plastic foam were sold in the United Kingdom during the first half of 1976; how these sales compared with the sales of cushions of other materials; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Les Huckfield,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 26th January 1978; Vol. 942, c. 723–4], gave the following information:

I regret that my Department only collects information about the value of cushions sold by United Kingdom manufacturers. During the first half of 1976 cushions of rubber and plastic foam to the value of £1,832,000 were sold by manufacturers, compared with cushions of other materials to the value of £340,000.

Mr. Cormack

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many loose covers, pelmets, curtain, etc., were made by manufacturers from customers' own materials during the first quarter of 1976; and if he will list some of the items he would expect those fillings in their quarterly returns for the Business Statistics Office to include under the term "Etc.".

Mr. Les Huckfield,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 26th January 1978; Vol. 942, c. 723–4], gave the following information:

I regret that my Department only collects information about the value of work done on making up customers' own materials into loose covers, pelmets, curtains, etc. Owing to the risk of disclosure of information relating to an individual undertaking, the published value of work done in the bedding and soft furnishings industry, amounting to £788,000 in the first quarter of 1976, does include some other work such as repair work.

The term "etc." is intended to cover the making up of soft furnishings other than those specified.