HC Deb 04 February 1930 vol 234 cc1672-3
63. Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLE

asked the President of the Board of Trade in reference to the agreement with the Italian Government to take 1,000,000 tons of coal from this country, what proportion of that coal has already been shipped; how much has been carried in Italian vessels; how much in British ships; and how much, if any, in ships of other nationalities?

Mr. W. GRAHAM

I am advised that 21,400 tons of this coal has already been shipped, all in Italian vessels.

Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLE

Did this arrangement made with the Italian Government give them absolute and uncontrolled discretion as to the freight and as to what ships the coal should be carried in?

Mr. GRAHAM

That question hardly arises, but I negotiated this matter personally at The Hague in August, and it was a concession to get a firm order for 1,000,000 tons of coal a year for the British coalfields. I could not possibly, get any further concession as regards the ships in which it was to be carried.

Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLE

Will the right hon. Gentleman make representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer; and, in view of the obvious hardship that is inflicted upon British shipping by this arrangement, will representations be made, and some chance given to British shipping?

Mr. WALLHEAD rose

Mr. SPEAKER

Hon. Members prefer that their supplementary questions should be answered without intervention by other hon. Members.

Mr. GRAHAM

The short reply is that this matter was negotiated in all its details, and I can only tell the House that the agreement that we got was the limit of the concession that could be obtained.

Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLE

Does this mean that British shipping is to get none of this tonnage until the available Italian shipping is filled up?

Mr. GRAHAM

The order for coal is a definite concession, and we could not push it an inch beyond that into the question of shipping.

Mr. WALLHEAD

Is the condition of British shipping worse now than it was when the previous Government was in power?

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