HC Deb 13 June 1881 vol 262 cc331-2
MR. MAC IVER

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether his attention has been called to a printed statement which is being circulated by Sir Henry Peek, in which it is alleged that the value of our exports to France has during the last ten years diminished from about £33,000,000 to £28,000,000, while the annual value of our imports has during the same period increased from about £30,000,000 to £42,000,000; and, whether, if the facts are so, Her Majesty's Government will, in the negotiation of any new Commercial Treaty with France, insist upon such arrangements as are likely to amend this state of things and to ensure an equitable division of the profits of international trade?

MR. CHAMBERLAIN

Sir, I have to make an appeal to the hon. Member for Birkenhead that he will not needlessly waste the time of the House by putting Questions with reference—[Cries of "Oh, oh!" "Order!" and "Withdraw !" from the Opposition.]

MR. SPEAKER

The right hon. Gentleman the Member for Birmingham is in possession of the House, and he has said nothing un-Parliamentary.

MR. CHAMBERLAIN

I must repeat, Sir, I have to make an appeal to the hon. Member not to put Questions with reference to figures, the plain answer to which is contained in a statistical abstract, which is in possession of the hon. Member and of all other hon. Members. I have further to say that the hon. Member, in the Question he has placed on the Paper to-day, seems to take as his foundation the figures which concern the year 1871, which, he is probably aware, was quite an exceptional year in the transactions between this country and France. If the hon. Member will examine the figures in the abstract to which I have referred, he will find that in the last 15 years there has been no considerable variation in the exports from this country to France, and certainly there has been no consistent decrease in those exports. The same remarks apply to the imports from France to this country. They have not shown any steady or consistent increase. Even if they had, I should differ from the hon. Member in considering that state of things injurious to this country.

MR. MAC IVER

Sir, in consequence of the reply of the right hon. Gentleman, I shall, on an early day, call attention to the inaccuracies in his statement.