§ MR. LAMONT (Buteshire)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received from the Governments of any of the Colonies represented at the Inter-Colonial Conference at Barbados last January any communications regarding the resolutions then carried in favour of negotiations for a mutual reduction of tariffs between the Dominion of Canada on the one part and certain of the West Indian Colonies on the other; and whether the Home Government would, if approached by the Colonial Governments, be willing to appoint a representative to a further conference in order to assist them in bringing their negotiations to a successful issue.
§ COLONEL SEELYThe Answer to the first part of my hon. friend's Question is in the affirmative. To the second part, I am not in a position to give a definite answer at present. The principle of mutual reduction of tariffs between more or less contiguous parts of the Empire has long been recognised, and His Majesty's Government is anxious to give every encouragement to commercial intercourse between Canada, Newfoundland, and the West Indies; but the Secretary of State is not yet in full possession of the views of all the West Indian Governments on the subject; nor has he heard so far from the Dominion Government. The subject is—in details—one of much complexity, and I cannot hold out hope of being able to make a definite statement at any early date.
§ MR. HAROLD COX (Preston)May I ask whether in any arrangements to be made, care will be taken that Canada does not give more favourable treatment to the products of the West Indian Colonies than to those of Great Britain?
§ COLONEL SEELYI will bear that in mind.