§ 69. Mr. HANNONasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the percentage increase in the world's export trade from 1913 to 1929; the share of this export trade enjoyed by Great Britain in these years, respectively; and to what causes the change is attributed?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMA recent publication of the League of Nations contains particulars of the export trade in 1928 of all the more important trading countries of the world, resulting in a total for all those countries of 32,233,000,000 of United States dollars, equivalent to approximately £6,623,000,000. Of this total the exports of produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom from this country, £723,600,000, constitute 10.9 per cent. Figures for the year 1913 adequately comparable with those which I have stated for 1928 are not available. New international boundaries have replaced those existing in 1913, and the data of international trade movements are, of course, modified by such changes.
§ Mr. HANNONThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my question. I want to know what is the proportionate increase of the export trade of all the countries in the world and what percentage ours was during the same period?
§ Mr. GRAHAMThe figure of 13.9 is in my mind as having been stated, but I must warn the hon. Member that it is very misleading as regards the postwar figure due to the great changes in international boundaries, so that what was internal trade now figures in exports.
§ Mr. HANNONIs it not a fact, in face of the figures published by the League of Nations, that our proportion of the export trade of the world has substantially decreased while the proportion of other countries has increased?
§ Mr. GRAHAMUp to a point that statement can be made, but I ask the House to make it subject to the important modifications I have pointed out.