§ 38. Major COLVILLEasked the President of the Board of Trade if any downward tendency in the tariffs imposed on British goods by the foreign nations which signed the tariff truce has yet become apparent?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMNo, Sir. The hon. and gallant Member will no doubt recollect that under the arrangements concluded at Geneva the question of tariff reductions is to form the subject of future negotiations.
§ Major COLVILLEDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that this stands in contrast to the action of the Canadian Government at the present time?
§ 53. Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any information respecting increases in the tariffs of Greece; whether they are likely adversely to affect British exports to that country; and, if so, whether he proposes to make any representations to the Greek Government?
§ Mr. GRAHAMCertain increases resulting from the revision of the Franco-Greek Convention of 1929 took effect from 1st April last; full details were given in the Board of Trade Journal of 3rd April. I have received no complaints from British traders in regard to these increases, and, in the circumstances in which they were made, I doubt whether representations could usefully be made. I also understand that the Greek Government has proposed certain increases of duty on a few classes of goods seriously competitive with Greek industries. Such increases would naturally tend to affect adversely British exports to Greece of the goods concerned, and the question of making representations to the Greek Government in regard to them is under consideration.
§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether the increases in the tariffs of Greece have been antecedent or subsequent to his proposals in regard to the tariff truce?
§ Mr. GRAHAMI should like notice of that question. I cannot say at the moment what is the precise date.
§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEIs not the date when these tariffs were imposed 1616 within the knowledge of the right hon. Gentleman, and can he not say whether they were antecedent or subsequent to the tariff truce proposals?