§ 5. Sir GODFREY COLLINSasked the President of the Board of Trade to what countries Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Bill will apply if the Bill is passed into law this year?
§ Mr. BALDWINIt is impossible to say until the findings of the Committees to be set up under the Bill have been received.
§ Major MACKENZIE WOODAre we to understand from that answer that the Government do not know the effect of a Bill which they have introduced into this House?
§ Sir G. COLLINSIs the right hon. Gentleman unable to give the House definite information as to the particular Clauses in the different Treaties, and to say specifically to which countries this Bill applies, especially in view of the fact that this question has been on the Order Paper for six days?
§ Mr. BALDWINI think the information for which the hon. Member asks is contained in an answer I gave him last week, but he has got another question down on the same subject.
§ Mr. HOGGEHow can the House discuss this Bill if we do not know the countries to which it will apply, until some Committees are set up under the Bill to determine to which countries it will apply; and, if we cannot have that information, do the Government propose to continue the discussions on the Committee stage, without supplying the House with that information?
§ Mr. BALDWINI think this would be much better debated on the Bill itself.
§ Mr. HOGGEMight I call the attention of the Leader of the House to this question? Is the Leader of the House aware that we are informed that we shall not know the countries to which this Bill applies until certain Committees have been set up under the Bill, and will he see, before we reach the Committee stage, that the House is put in possession of this information?
Mr. CHAMBERLAIN (Leader of the House)If the hon. Gentleman requires an answer from me to a question of such 869 magnitude, I shall be grateful if he will put the question on the Paper, and give me an opportunity of considering it.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs my right hon. Friend aware that the House cannot possibly discuss this Bill unless they know the countries to which it will apply; and will he give us an undertaking that, before we are asked to consider it in Committee, we shall have the information?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, I am not aware that the House cannot discuss this Bill in Committee, where I presume the information which the hon. Gentleman seeks can be given.
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThen will the hon. Gentleman put his question to me down on the Paper, and let me have an opportunity of considering it?
§ 6. Sir G. COLLINSasked the President of the Board of Trade if there is any Clause in any Treaty, Agreement, or Convention with France, Italy, or Japan which will stop Part II of the Safeguarding of Industries Bill being applied to each of those countries if the Bill is passed during the present Session?
§ Mr. BALDWINI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for East Newcastle (Major Barnes) on the 13th June.
§ Sir G. COLLINSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the answer to which he refers directs the attention of the House to commercial Treaties, Conventions, and Agreements applying to
| IMPORTS of the undermentioned articles into the United Kingdom, consigned from all European countries, registered during the year ended 31st December, 1920. | ||||
| Description. | Quantity. | Value. | ||
| Tons. | £ | |||
| Pig iron | … | … | 177,202 | 2,075,994 |
| Ingots, other than of special steel | … | … | 7,424 | 229,579 |
| Blooms, billets, slabs, other than of special steel: steel | … | … | 54,480 | 1,219,427 |
| Special steels | … | … | 310 | 30,520 |
| Total Imports of all descriptions of iron and steel and manufactures thereof. | 467,432 | 11,853,528 |
§ The total value of the Imports of all goods, except Food and Drink, into the United Kingdom, consigned from Germany, registered during the year ended 31st December, 1920, amounted to £28,319,000.
870§ some 25 countries, and in view of the impossibility of any hon. Member being able to satisfy himself as to the exact bearing of each Clause of the Bill, will the right hon. Gentleman state specifically what is the answer to the question on the Paper?
§ Mr. KILEYAre we to understand from the list of countries which has been given that we have no commercial Agreement or Convention with France in any matter, shape, or form, and that that will be the only country to which this Bill will apply?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI wish to give notice that, at the end of Question Time, I shall ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, in order to call attention to a definite matter of urgent public importance in connection with this Bill.