§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether in view of the announcement by the State Department at Washington that, before admitting Great Britain to any benefits under Section 3 of the Dingley Tariff Law, the President must be satisfied that Great Britain has some advantage to offer constituting true reciprocity, he can state what reciprocal advantage Great Britain has to offer under the present fiscal conditions.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYI cannot make any statement at present on this particular point, and must refer the hon. Member to my Answer of to day to the hon. Member for Mid. Armagh.
§ MR. BRIDGEMAN (Shropshire, Oswestry)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if an Anglo-American agreement, under Section 3 of the Dingley Act, was discussed by the Government of the United States six months ago, and has not been taken up since; if so, will he say if the discussion was dropped because the express terms of the Dingley Act require that the President must be satisfied that Great Britain has something to offer to the United States constituting true reciprocity; and if he still entertains any hope of being able, by virtue of the most favoured-nation clause, or otherwise, to secure for Great Britain, in respect of Treasury and Consular rulings, the advantages which Germany has secured.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe Answer to the first Question is approximately correct. The Answer to the second is in 1226 the negative. The Answer to the third is in the affirmative; it is being given to-day to the hon. Member for Mid. Armagh. The hon. Member is, of course, aware that the administrative changes which have been, or are about to be, made have nothing to do with Section 3 of the United States Tariff Act.