asked the Minister of Materials why the consumption of Canadian softwood is controlled while the consumption of aluminium, of Canadian origin, for use as a substitute for softwood is made freely available.

The question of controlling particular commodities is determined with reference to the general conditions of supply, demand and major use in each case. The marginal use of some aluminium as a substitute for softwood involves a very small fraction indeed of the imports of either softwood or aluminium and is not on a scale to justify a change in the main policy.

Could we get the marginal uses estimated just right, so that we should then be able to estimate the cost of providing for them?

I am not quite sure what my hon. Friend means by that. It is, of course, only to a very small extent that aluminium is used by customers who prefer to have softwood and to that extent there is no advantage in the matter of dollars. It is so small as not to justify a change in the main policy.

I am sorry if I did not make myself clear. My point was whether those members of the public who have tried to get softwood and have been able instead to obtain aluminium could be allowed to have the foreign currency allocation transferred to enable them to purchase softwood instead of aluminium.

That would mean an extremely difficult administrative arrangement which, in our view, would not be justified, having regard to the small quantities and money involved.