asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps are being taken to make tyres both for commercial and private use more readily and rapidly available to the public.

The production of tyres which has been temporarily held back by a shortage of carbon black will increase as soon as that material becomes available in greater quantities as a result of the arrangements recently made.

Will the President of the Board of Trade explain more fully than has been done up to now the great lack of foresight and planning in his Department in the matter of carbon black, and will he say what steps he has taken to relieve this on a permanent basis instead of on a temporary one?

That was explained in the course of the Debate. It was not lack of foresight on the part of the Department but was due to an unfortunate strike in America. Investigations are being made and a Committee is sitting to discover whether we can have a permanent substitution for the American product.

Can my right hon. Friend tell us whether there has been any recent change as between commercial and private allocations of these tyres?

If the hon. Member will put that question down, I will deal with it.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman consult with his colleague, the Minister of Supply, and inquire into the very large quantities of tyres which have been put into storage by that Department and which might be released ?