§ 23. Sir K. WOODasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he proposes to seek the approval of the House for the protocol recently signed by him in relation to a tariff truce?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMI would refer the right hon. Member to the reply which I gave on the 23rd December last to the hon. and gallant Member for Maidstone
Mr. SOMERVILLEDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that it would be wise to preserve and encourage this shipping trade and employment at home by taking energetic steps to preserve the West Indian sugar industry?
§ Following are the figures:
§ (Commander Bellairs) in which I stated that any international convention which might be signed on this subject would be laid before Parliament before ratification.
§ Sir AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINMay I ask what exactly the right hon. Gentleman means to convey by the phrase "laid before Parliament."? Will the Government put down a Motion for its 1059 approval, or will they be content to leave it to us to put down a Motion for its disapproval?
§ Mr. GRAHAMAs I understand it at the present, these documents will be submitted very soon. They are now at the printers, and I think that it will be for hon. Members opposite or in any part of the House to raise the matter.
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINDoes the right hon. Gentleman remember that, when we had some discussion in connection with this subject a little time ago, he apologised for being unable fully to express the mind of the Government, because the Conference was then still in progress? Does he not think that it is his duty to bring the matter again substantively before the House now that these negotiations are complete?
§ Mr. GRAHAMNo, I did not undertake to do that. I promised to submit documents at the earliest possible moment, and that will be done, but, as a matter of fact, either on the Board of Trade Vote, or on the Motion for the Adjournment, or on some other occasion, hon. Members may raise the question, so that their rights are fully protected.
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINWe shall ask for an occasion to discuss the matter on its merits, when we can move a Motion in regard to it.
§ Sir ASSHETON POWNALLDoes the right hon. Gentleman by "Parliament" mean both Houses of Parliament?
§ 25. Sir A. POWNALLasked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the customs duties of each of the countries which have signed the Tariff Truce agreement is consolidated by treaty?
§ Mr. GRAHAMOf the total imports of all the signatories who under the terms of the Convention are required to maintain in force rates consolidated by Treaty the following figures indicate approximately the proportions which in each case represent goods on which the duties are fixed by one or more Treaties at present in force:
Austria, 58 per cent.; Belgium and Luxembourg, 15 per cent.; Estonia, 11 per cent.; Finland, 13 per cent.; 1060 France, 36½ per cent.; Germany, 46 per cent.; Italy, 40 per cent.; and Switzerland, 55½ per cent.
The remaining signatories—Netherlands and the United Kingdom—are regarded for the purpose of the Convention as parties who do not consolidate their customs duties by treaty or do so only in exceptional cases.
§ 29. Mr. GRANVILLE GIBSONasked the President of the Board of Trade with reference to the Tariff Truce Conference recently held at Geneva, if it fulfilled expectations; if he will state the benefits to accrue to this country as a result of the Conference; and were conclusions arrived at subject to any special reservations in respect of any country or countries in respect of permission given them to alter their tariffs whilst the Tariff Truce is operative?
§ 32. Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the nature of the agreements arrived at by the Tariff Truce Conference at Geneva and their effect on freedom of fiscal action by Great Britain?
§ Mr. GRAHAMIt is obviously impossible to give adequate information in regard to a Convention of this kind within the limits of an answer to a Parliamentary question. I would therefore ask hon. Members to await the text of the instruments, which have already been sent to the printers. I may perhaps add that although the results of the Conference were not all that I had hoped, they represent, in my opinion, a definite step towards the lowering of trade barriers.
§ Mr. GIBSONIn view of the fact that the Tariff Truce, if it meant anything at all, meant that there should be no increase of tariffs by any of the countries participating in the Conference during the operation of the Truce, can the right hon. Gentleman say whether it is a fact that one or more countries were granted preferential treatment in regard to being enabled to increase their tariffs under certain conditions?
§ Mr. GRAHAMOh, yes. The text of the documents, which will be available to the House in a day or two, will indicate that in one or two cases exceptions were made, but those exceptions are fully explained in the papers.
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINAre we to understand that this first step towards the reduction of tariffs consists of raising certain tariffs and the stabilisation of others?
§ Mr. GRAHAMMy right hon. Friend would be in grave error if he made an assumption of that kind.
§ Sir PHILIP CUNLIFFE - LISTERWill the right hon. Gentleman say which tariffs have been reduced as the result of his activities?
§ Mr. GRAHAMThe Conference concluded only a few days ago, and my right hon. Friend had better allow a little time to elapse.
§ Sir N. GRATTAN - DOYLEWith reference to the reply to question number 32, is the right hon. Gentleman not now convinced that all his efforts in this direction have been perfectly futile?
§ Mr. GRAHAMI am not convinced of that at all. On the contrary, I am very greatly encouraged.