HC Deb 11 February 1930 vol 235 cc210-2
39. Mr. A. M. SAMUEL

asked the President of the Board of Trade which Governments have reduced their customs tariffs since he suggested a truce; and whether any Governments have proposed increased customs tariffs, and, if so, which, since he made the suggestion for a truce?

Mr. W. GRAHAM

Changes in duties on individual commodities are of course frequent, but the most important tariff revisions of a wider range which have been made or proposed since the tariff truce was first suggested, namely, those in Australia, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Turkey have in each case been mainly in an upward direction. I should add that in most of these cases preparations for the revision were already in progress when the suggestion of a truce was first mooted.

Mr. SAMUEL

May I ask why the right hon. Gentleman omitted to tell us if any tariffs had been lowered? Is he now satisfied with the mischief that he has done by his ill-timed proposal?

Mr. GRAHAM

Not in the very least. I am still optimistic regarding next week at Geneva.

Sir HUGH O'NEILL

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman, or the Prime Minister, whether the question of a tariff truce is the definite and considered policy of the Government or whether it is merely a suggestion of the President of the Board of Trade?

Mr. GRAHAM

Not at all. It is the considered policy of the Government.

40. Mr. SAMUEL

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he intends to proceed with his policy of a customs tariff truce in face of the statement issued on 7th January by the British Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, to the effect that the truce which he proposed would hamper negotiations for a general reduction of tariffs, would prejudice Imperial trade, and would be a handicap to the solution of the unemployment problem?

Mr. GRAHAM

His Majesty's Government have accepted the League of Nations' invitation to attend the forthcoming Conference, and will do what they can to ensure its success. I may add that I do not share the apprehensions on this subject expressed by the British National Committee of the International Chamber.

Mr. SAMUEL

Does not the right hon. Gentleman see that those persons whom he hoped to help have already told him that he is doing more harm than good?

Mr. GRAHAM

That is not the case at all. As a matter of fact, although I cannot argue it in reply' to a supplementary question, many of these bodies have quite misunderstood the purpose of the proposal.

Mr. SAMUEL

Is it not a patent fact that, instead of tariffs going down, as we all wish, they have gone up as a result of his proposal?

Mr. GRAHAM

Certain tariffs, as I have indicated, have been increased, but only in one or two cases can it be said that the increase has any bearing at all on next week's Conference at Geneva.

Mr. SAMUEL

Does that not show plainly that he has done no good?

41. Mr. HANNON

asked the President of the Board of Trade the nature of the negotiations which took place between his Department and the bodies representative of organised labour and trade and industry in this country, namely, the Trades Union Congress, the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, and the Federation of British Industries, before his proposal for a tariff truce was submitted to the economic section of the League of Nations at Geneva?

Mr. GRAHAM

The proposal for a Tariff truce with a view to the subsequent initiation of negotiations for the reduction of duties was put forward at the last Assembly of the League of Nations on my initiative, in order to give practical effect to the unanimous recommendation of the World Economic Conference of 1927 that steps should be taken to remove or diminish tariff barriers. The British delegation at the Conference in question comprised representatives of all the bodies mentioned by the hon. Member.

Mr. HANNON

Does the right hon. Gentleman seriously tell the House of Commons that he went to Geneva and made a proposal of this kind to the other countries of the world without consulting the industrial and commercial interests in this country? Has he had any conferences of any kind with the Association of Chambers of Commerce, or any other organised body in this country?

Mr. GRAHAM

There have been full consultations, and they were parties to the Conference of 1927. My whole object very soon after we came into office was to get some practical result from that conference.