§ MR. HAROLD COX (Preston)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state what is the difference in economic effect between the original Brussels Sugar Convention, which prohibited the importation of bounty-fed sugar into this country from various foreign countries, and the Protocol arising out of the Additional Act, which prohibits exportation of bounty-fed sugar from these or other countries.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYUnder the Convention of 1902 no bounty-fed sugar could be imported into this country without the imposition of a countervailing duty. As a result of the terms of the Additional Act, any State not party to this instrument will be at liberty to export to this country any quantity of bounty-fed sugar it pleases. Under the Protocol arising out of the Additional Act the exportation of bounty-fed sugar from Russia is not, as the hon. Member appears to suggest, prohibited, but merely restricted as to the maximum amount to be exported in any one year without return or exemption 1702 from excise. For instance, under the original Sugar Convention, as applied by His Majesty's Government, no sugar from Russia could have been imported into this country at all. Under the new arrangements, which I must repeat are not dependent upon the consent of His Majesty's Government and entail no obligation upon us, Russia may in September next send 300,000 tons.
§ SIR GILBERT PARKER (Gravesend)asked whether other countries besides Russia might send bounty-fed sugar into this country without restriction.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYsaid that we were at liberty to accent sugar from any country.
§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSON (Northumberland, Tyneside)asked whether our adhesion to the Convention had not now the effect of endorsing action which would have the result of prohibiting Russia from exporting more than a given amount of sugar to this country.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYreplied in the negative, and was understood to say that, while the Government were cognisant of the arrangement, it could have been made without their consent.
§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONIs not that a reason for our absolute withdrawal from the Convention?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYsaid that our withdrawal from the Convention would not prevent Russia from making this arrangement with other countries. On economic grounds there was no cause to make this particular limitation a reason for separating ourselves from the other Powers.
§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONOn what grounds, unless economic, is such a Convention fixed?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYOn general political considerations.