§ 6. Mr. W. THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has read the Report presented by Mr. Colijn, the Netherlands president of the International Conference for the Abolition of Import and Export Prohibitions and Restrictions, to the Council of League of Nations at Geneva; if he is aware that the president stated that the Convention had been signed by 18 States; if he will state whether the 2067 British delegates of the Council have signed the Convention on behalf of the Government; and, if not, can he state the reason?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, Sir, the Report has not yet been received. The British delegate to the Conference signed the Convention.
§ Mr. THORNEAre we to understand from that reply that eventually, instead of increasing the duties, the right hon. Gentleman will reduce them?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERIt is not a question of duties; it is a question of prohibitions. The British delegates received instructions from His Majesty's Government that we were anxious to get a unanimous Report, and I am glad to say that already some 20 countries have signed it.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERYes, a very limited number of articles.
§ Mr. THORNEDoes the right hon. Gentleman think that there is any possibility of persuading the other countries in question to reduce their tariffs by at least 25 per cent.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNobody would be more delighted than I if we could achieve that result. I sincerely hope that the countries with high tariffs who subscribed these resolutions of the Economic Conference will give effect to them. This country, as is well known, has taken the lead by imposing duties on only two or three per cent. of its imports. This particular Convention deals with prohibition and not with tariffs.