asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state if he has refused to grant permission for the importation from the United Kingdom of piece goods made of artificial silk for the manufacture of ladies' frocks at prices in excess of 5/- per square yard, and if he is aware that importers have been obliged to cancel orders for piece goods for which delivery had been promised by United Kingdom exporters, and if he will say what is the object of such refusal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Importation of Piece Goods.
asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state if any restrictions are imposed by the Government of the United Kingdom on the quantity of piece goods suitable for clothing or for curtains made of artificial silk, exported from the United Kingdom to this country.
asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state whether he has refused to allow tailoring establishments to import woollen piece goods over 6/- per square yard in price; and, if so, if he will state the reasons for preventing the import of materials essential to the maintenance of this trade; and if he will state where woollen piece goods suitable for making suits for men can be obtained in quantity at the price of 6/- per yard or under; also, if he will state if Irish manufacturers of woollen piece goods are likely to be able to supply the tailoring trade with its normal requirements during the next six months; whether they have been consulted in this matter, and if he will state what the result of these consultations was, and whether it has been communicated to the tailoring trade, and whether he has received any representations thereon from the tailoring trade.
I propose to take questions Nos. 13, 14 and 15 together.
Export of fabrics made of cotton, artificial silk and wool from Great Britain to this country is restricted as to total quantity, and the object of the control exercised by my Department under the Emergency Powers (Importation of Fabrics) Order, 1942, made by me, is to secure that the quotas available to us from Great Britain will be taken up in the manner most advantageous to the country in present circumstances. The grant of import licences under the Order will be conditioned by considerations of type and price, and it is the intention to concentrate imports from Great Britain so far as may be possible on fabrics suitable for clothing, importable at what are, in my opinion, reasonable prices.
Licences have been refused for the importation from Great Britain of artificial silk piece goods at prices in excess of 5/- per square yard and of woollen piece goods at prices in excess of 6/- per square yard. I am aware that as a result importers have been obliged to cancel orders for piece goods for which delivery had been promised by United Kingdom exporters. I am not in a position to state where woollen piece goods suitable for making suits for men can be obtained in quantity at the price of 6/- per square yard or under; but I am aware that importers have already sought licences for the importation of fabrics of this description in considerable quantities. I am not in a position to state whether Irish manufacturers of woollen piece goods are likely to be able to supply the tailoring trade with its normal requirements during the next six months. The Departments of Supplies and Industry and Commerce have been and are in consultation with the woollen and worsted manufacturers with a view to increasing the home production of fabrics to the greatest possible extent, and the tailoring trade will be advised in due course of the extent to which supplies may be expected to be available.
Will the Minister say what part of his answer refers to question 14?
I said that the export of fabrics made of cotton, artificial silk and wool from Great Britain to this country is restricted as to total quantity.
Is not the Minister aware that there is no restriction on the export from Great Britain of artificial silk?
I am not aware.
Will the Minister realise that it is possible that he has made a mistake, for some reason or another?
I have made no mistake.
The Minister is, politically, impeccable.
The position, as far as I understand it, is that there is no interchangeability between cotton and artificial silk, no interchangeability between cotton and wool, and no interchangeability between wool and artificial silk, and that in respect of artificial silk there is no prohibition on the export of artificial silk from Great Britain, and that there is no interchangeability between cheap and dear artificial silk, as a result of that?
Is the Deputy purporting to ask a supplementary question?
I would like to ask the Minister what have been the results of any conversations that have taken place between himself and the makers-up of artificial silk on the stoppage, entirely from this side, of the import of artificial silk over 5/- a square yard. Has he not found out that it is interfering with a certain type of manufacture here, that it is interfering with a certain type of better class trade, without in any way increasing the possibility of getting in cheaper goods of any alternative kind from Great Britain?
I have informed the Deputy that the exports of piece goods of cotton, artificial silk and wool to this country from Great Britain are controlled by the British authority. It is my intention to secure that such quantities as can be obtained will be secured in the form of the cheaper cloths. There is an obvious inducement to importers to use the limited import facilities available to get in the most expensive class of goods because, on these, they make the most profit. I am preventing them doing that by requiring that the total quantity available to us will be in the form of the cheapest cloths.
And the Minister is——
It is not permissible to debate the reply given to a question. Such questions are designed to elicit, not to impart, information.
I want to ask the Minister what steps has he taken and will he take to clear away the ignorance that apparently exists in commercial circles in the city of the position with regard to artificial silk.
I have published a number of announcements in the newspapers and an officer of my Department has met representatives of the manufacturers interested and explained the situation to them.
Has the Minister, in his recent contacts with the commercial people that are interested in this, assured himself that they understand that there is a prohibition on the part of Great Britain on the export of artificial silk to this country?
I have assured myself that their interest is to get in the dearer cloths because they make more profit on them.
That is the thing the Minister is standing against?
I am standing against that because we will get only a limited quantity and we want to secure that it will be available in the cheapest form.
Will the Minister say, in connection with the import of woollen piece goods, whether discussions have taken place between the tailoring trade and himself and whether he has satisfied the tailoring trade that his actions are not stopping employment in the tailoring trade here?
The Deputy must not misunderstand me. I am quite certain the curtailment of these cloths will stop employment in many trades. That is not the issue involved here. We cannot avoid that, but we can ensure that the limited quantities available to us will be taken in the form of cloths that will be available to the masses of the people, not to the exclusive few.
Will the Minister say if cloths are being got in here that are going to be available to the mass of the people, how is that going to stop employment here?
Because the total quantity will be restricted anyway.
Surely, if the Minister's argument is right, and he is getting in the cheaper stuff there will be more employment given, but the fact is that he is stopping employment.
I said that the quantity of the cloth we will be able to get is restricted, not the total value of the cloth, and it is to ensure that the total quantity will be taken up in the form of the cheaper cloths that this Order was made.
Are we to understand then that the Minister's policy in this is that, in order to ensure that the poorer people will be clad, he is prepared to stop employment?
No.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, in which he said that one of the objects of this control was to ensure the provision of clothing, does that mean that there will be difficulties about the importation of machinery clothing?
Not necessarily. The Order prohibits the importation of cloth in excess of certain prices except under permit. I recognise that we may not be able to get the total quantity available to us in the form of the cheaper cloths or that there may be special circumstances which would justify the granting of permits for dearer cloths. If so, the machinery for allowing these dearer cloths in is available.
The Minister will bear in mind the fact that, in addition to piece goods brought in for personal clothing, there are piece goods brought in for machinery clothing.
Will the Minister say on what basis the exports of woollen piece goods are made? Are they based on a certain percentage of the imports?
No, a fixed quantity.
Will the Minister say what that is approximately?
I could not, without reference.
Question No. 12.