45. Sir J. NORTON-GRIFFITHSasked the Prime Minister if he is in a position to state what His Majesty's Government are doing with reference to the provision of loans or credits for approved schemes in the Overseas Dominions; what proportion of the total, said to be £100,000,000, will be available for Crown Colory development; and if His Majesty's Government are taking into consideration the importance of Empire development as a permanent solution of the unemployment problem?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Ormsby-Gore)I am not in a position at present to add anything to the reply which the Prime Minister gave to my hon. and gallant Friend on 20th February.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThe matter is being gone into very carefully by the Treasury, and we are awaiting their report.
46. Mr. ERSKINEasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of our having to pay the American Government £2,250,000,000 in the next 62 years in dollars, he will,. in conjunction with the Canadian Government consider the advisability of encouraging wheat production in that country and inter-Colonial trade generally for the purpose not only of diminishing our purchases from the United States, but also for cheapening dollars and so reducing the payments due for interest and sinking fund to the United States?
The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Bonar Law)His Majesty's Government is at all times anxious to encourage inter-Empire trade, and arrangements for an Economic Conference are now being discussed with the Dominions.