DUTIES OF CUSTOMS ON EGGS OR POULTRY FROM EIRE. (Hansard, 5 May 1938)

§ Mr. Wedgwood Benn
There may be similar questions arising later, but the first thing I would like to ask is this. I presume that Orders made will be brought before the House for confirmation.

§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lieut.-Colonel Colville)
The procedure on any such Treasury Order will follow that laid down in Section Bp of the Ottowa Agreements Act. Any Order will be laid before the House as soon as made, and if it increases or reimposes a duty of customs, it will cease to have effect unless approved within 28 days. As to the provision in general, it is, of course, part of the Agreement. The procedure is in accordance with precedent so far as regards an affirmative Resolution of the House.

§ Mr. Benn
It really means that we may be called upon in the middle of the night to impose duties on these useful articles for the breakfast table.

§ Mr. Turton
I would like to ask the Government the reason for this Resolution. Earlier this afternoon my hon. Friend the Member for King's Lynn (Mr. Maxwell) said that agriculture was quite satisfied with the provisions of the Agreement. The question of poultry and eggs is extremely important at the moment. Members in all quarters of the Committee know that it is a much wider question than a merely agricultural question, because industrial as well as agricultural constituencies have numbers of poultry keepers who are being very hard hit by the great increase in imports. At what stage in the increase of imports from Ireland will duties or regulation be imposed upon imports? The position in the first three months of the year was that there was an increase of 23 per cent. over last year, and 65 per cent. over 1935. Hon. Members will appreciate that this is a large and serious increase. Have we to go back on the question of Irish imports to the 1930 figure, which was close on 3,000,000 great hundreds of eggs, or an 1187 other increase of something like 12 per cent.? It would be very unfortunate for the poultry industry if there were to be any increase in the number of eggs from the Irish Free State unless the Government were to stop eggs coming in from other countries to make up for the increase from Ireland. The poultry producers in this country would not like to do anything to harm the Agreement between this country and Southern Ireland. They are anxious that there should be as much harmony as possible, but at the moment they are in such a predicament that they will be driven entirely out of business if there is any increase of imports from Ireland. I would ask whoever replies for the Government to deal with the position of the poultry producers, and to say whether the Government intend, by introducing a Poultry Bill at an early date, to put the position right? If there were to be an increase in the number of eggs imported from Ireland, it would jeopardise the position of the English producers.

§ Sir Joseph Lamb
Is there any danger of Continental exports to Ireland being re-exported to this country, they being not the product of Irish agriculturists?

§ The Minister of Pensions (Mr. Ramsbotham)
I think that I shall be able to dispel any anxiety which my hon. Friends feel in connection with this matter. The figure of the export of eggs from Eire to the United Kingdom prior to the dispute in 1932 was about 4,500,000 to 5,000,000 great hundreds. Since then, during the last four years, they have fallen to between 2,000,000 and 3,000,000 great hundreds. It was in consequence of that position and the removal of the heavy duties under this Agreement that those responsible thought it necessary to take measures to prevent our industry from being overloaded by Eire eggs and poultry. It is for that reason that under Article 4 steps are taken to provide that the Government of Eire should consult from time to time with the Government of the United Kingdom as to the quantity of eggs and poultry to be exported to this country, and to exercise such control as may be necessary. It is also provided that should such consultations not lead to arrangements satisfactory to us and the imports from Eire increase to the danger 1188 of our United Kingdom markets, the Government of the United Kingdom have power to impose quantitative regulations upon those imports. Further, such regulations may be replaced by duties if in the opinion of both Governments that is a more suitable course to adopt. I think that that method of regulating and controlling the market situation should prove to be perfectly satisfactory. We understand that re-export would come into the whole market position, and that there would be no question of re-exporting from Ireland eggs imported from the Continent.
An exchange of letters between the two Governments in regard to permitted quantities of eggs and poultry for 1938 will shortly take place, and I understand that the quantities for 1938 will in no case be substantially in excess of the actual imports for 1937. In view of the present position in the poultry industry of Eire it would not be possible for Eire to increase her exports to the United Kingdom to any great extent during the coming year. So far as the agricultural community in the United Kingdom is concerned, I think the arrangement should give general satisfaction, and I should like very briefly to inform the Committee what is stated in the news-sheet of the National Farmers' Union, which speaks authoritatively for the large bulk of the farming community. It says: All that the Union, speaking on behalf of the farmers of this country, could ask for was that the imports of agricultural products from Eire should come under general control regulations for securing the stability of the market. In any trade agreements no commitments should be entered into which would hamper such regulations. The Agreement now entered into between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Eire fulfils these requirements and does so to a greater extent than has been the case under any previous trade agreement. I think that that expression of opinion goes a long way to satisfy my hon. Friend and I hope he will he content with that explanation.