MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if His Majesty's Government have considered the effect of the reciprocity treaty between the United States and Canada, giving a considerable tariff preference to Cuban sugars over others, and have they come to any, and, if so, what conclusion as to its effect upon the export to the United States of sugar from the British West India Colonies have they made any, and, if so, what representations on the subject to the United States Government: and, if so, what were those representations and what their result; and when will the correspondence be laid upon the Table of this House.
§ EARL PERCYThe Answer to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. The tendency of the preference will doubtless be to put British West Indian sugar at a disadvantage as compared with Cuban sugar in the markets of the United States. Representations have been made to the United States Government on the general effect of the Reciprocity Convention on the trade of the United Kingdom. The Convention of Commerce upon which 473 these representations were based does not, however, secure most-favoured-nation treatment for the West Indian Colonies, and no reply has been received indicating the prospect of an arrangement more favourable to British trade.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESThe noble Lord says no reply has been received. Can he say what was the date of the despatch making the representations?
§ EARL PERCYI cannot say at the moment.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESThen am I to take it as an Answer to my Question that there has been no result, so far, from those negotiations?