41. Colonel BURNasked the Under secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has given consideration to the possibilities for the development of inter- Imperial trade which now present them selves in the Oversea Dominions of the Empire; and whether, seeing the extent to which the expansion of inter-Imperial trade is dependent upon increase in the volume of shipping available as between Great Britain and the Oversea Dominions, the Government will take steps by means of subsidies or other form of preferential treatment to inter-Imperial shipping to place a large volume of British tonnage at the service of inter- Imperial trade?
§ Lieut.-Colonel AMERYThe twenty-fourth resolution of the Imperial War Conference, 1918, recommended that, in order to maintain satisfactorily the connections and at the same time encourage commercial and industrial relations between the different countries of the British Empire, an Imperial Investigation Board representing the various parts of the Empire should be appointed with power to inquire into and report on all matters connected with the development and improvement of the sea communications between the different parts of the Empire. Steps are being taken with a view to giving effect to the resolution.