§ 45. Sir HARRY BRITTAINasked the Prime Minister what steps His Majesty's Government propose to take to give effect to the recommendations of the Imperial Economic Committee on the subject of promoting the sale in this country of Empire products?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for DOMINION AFFAIRS (Mr. Amery)I have been asked by the Prime Minister to reply to this question. The following decisions have been reached by His Majesty's Government with regard to the recommendations of the Imperial Economic Committee on the subject of the proposed grant for the furtherance of Empire marketing:
The grant will be in the form of a Grant-in-Aid, so that the balance unexpended within the financial year can be carried forward.
- (i) As some time will be needed before the more important schemes for the expenditure of the grant mature, it seems unlikely that the full amount could profitably be used in the next financial year; it is therefore intended to set aside the sum of £500,000 in the financial year 1926–27, but it is proposed that the full amount of £1,000,000 should be provided for the year 1927–28.
- (ii) The Imperial Economic Committee in their report contemplated that the body to be set up for the ad-
2030 ministration of the grant should be responsible to Parliament, and, in order to preserve strictly the principle of Parliamentary responsibility, the Estimate for this service will be brought before Parliament in the form of a special Vote to be administered by the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs. He will be assisted by a Commission or Board, which, in addition to himself as Chairman, will include the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies as Vice-Chairman, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health, Scotland, and members nominated by the Secretary of State in consultation with the Chairman of the Imperial Economic Committee. The Secretary to the new body will be Accounting Officer for the Vote. The new body will be able to appoint sub-Committees, when necessary, with outside personnel; but it is desired that it should so far as practicable make use of existing Governmental machinery: e.g., that full use should be made of the existing organisations for research.
It will be a direction to the new body that home agricultural produce should be included with imported Empire products in the scope of the grant. I should add that His Majesty's Government have proposed, and the other Governments concerned have agreed, that an additional member should be appointed by His Majesty's Government to the Imperial Economic Committee itself as representative of home agricultural interests.
The form of the proposed organisation for the administration of the Empire Marketing grant, as well as the future of the Imperial Economic Committee itself, will no doubt be fully considered at. the forthcoming Imperial Conference.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONCan the right hon. Gentleman assure us that effective steps will be taken to discriminate against or otherwise discourage the importation of Empire products that are produced under unfair conditions of labour?
§ Mr. AMERYI consider the conditions of labour generally in the Empire compare very favourably with similar conditions in any other country. The matter will be kept in view in encouraging Empire produce.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYWill the claims of British fisheries be included in this Committee We have heard a great deal about agriculture, but not about fisheries.
§ Mr. AMERYI imagine the case of British fisheries, as of Empire fisheries, will be dealt with by the Imperial Economic Committee when they come to that section of their investigations, and upon the recommendations they make the Board may be able to take steps.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINWill the House have an opportunity of discussing any of these points, before the meeting of the Imperial Economic Committee?
Lieut.-Colonel Sir FREDERICK HALLAre we to understand that the £1,000,000 is to be in excess of the £500,000 to which the right hon. Gentleman has referred, or is it to be the total amount?
§ Mr. AMERYThere is to be £1,000,000 annually. In the first year only £500,000 is to be spent, because there is no likelihood of schemes being ready to ensure sufficient expenditure in the time.