50. Sir F. HALLasked the Prime Minister whether, having regard to the injury which is resulting to the agricultural interests of this country owing to the dumping of corn and other agricultural products from Russia which are produced under exceptional labour conditions, he will arrange for a small body of expert investigators to visit Russia and to report as to the labour conditions under which corn, fruit pulp, and other 200 commodities of a like nature which are competing with home products in the English market are produced?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have been asked to reply. I regret that I am not able to accept the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion.
Sir F. HALLDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think it advisable that the Government should be fully aware of the conditions of labour in Russia, and will they not undertake to make themselves conversant with them?
§ Dr. ADDISONIt is always useful to have information, but I do not think the method suggested is necessary.
Sir F. HALLIf the right hon. Gentleman does not think this the best method to enable the Government to ascertain the conditions under which wheat is produced and then sold and dumped in this country, will he say what is the best method?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is a matter of opinion.
Sir F. HALLWill the Minister of Agriculture look into these conditions and tell us how the Government are going to make themselves aware of them?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have considered this, and I do not think it is a practical question.
§ Mr. LEIF JONESWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that cheap corn a-nd feeding stuffs are of the utmost importance to the stock breeders of this country.
§ 78. Brigadier-General CLIFTON BROWNasked the President of the Board of Trade what was the amount of timber imported into this country from Russia in the last six months for which information is available in 1930; and the amount imported for the same six months in 1929?
§ Mr. GILLETT (Secretary, Overseas Trade Department)The total imports of wood and timber into Great Britain and Northern Ireland registered as consigned' from the Soviet Union (Russia) during the six months ended 30th September, 1930, amounted to 133,800 cubic feet of 201 hard wood and 1,782,900 loads of other sorts, as compared with 137,600 cubic feet and 1,284,700 loads during the corresponding period of 1929. The total declared value was £6,304,500 and £5,160,200 for the six months ended September, 1930 and 1929, respectively.
§ Mr. THORNEHas my hon. Friend received any complaints about the dumping of Russian timber in this country?
§ Mr. GILLETTNo, I have not received any complaints.
Brigadier-General BROWNDoes the answer not contain a reference to one million more tons imported this year than last year?
§ Mr. GILLETTIf the hon. and gallant Member compares the figures of some other countries interested in this trade, he will find that they show a diminution, and that matters are equalised.
Brigadier-General BROWNIs the hon. Gentleman aware that Russian timber is produced and sent over here by forced and slave labour?
§ Mr. THORNEThe workers there are better off than some of our agricultural labourers, anyhow.
79. Brigadier-General BROWNasked the President of the Board of Trade what was the amount of wheat imported into this country from Russia in the last three months for which information is available in 1930 and the amount imported for the same three months in 1929; and what is the average price of Russian wheat imported in 1930?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe total quantity of wheat imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland, registered during the three months ended 30th September, 1930, as consigned from the Soviet Union (Russia) was 2,784,000 cwts. During the corresponding period of 1929 no imports of wheat were registered as consigned from the Soviet Union. The average declared value of the wheat imported into this country and registered during the first nine months of the current year as consigned from the Soviet Union was 7s. 11d. per cwt.
Brigadier-General BROWNDoes that mean that the British farmer must pay wages from 70 to 100 per cent. higher, 202 and still have to compete with these prices?
§ 82. Sir HARRY HOPEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the loss inflicted on the agricultural community by the dumping of Russian cereals, regardless of the price received, into British ports, he will take steps to regulate such importations in accordance with our own requirements?
§ Mr. GILLETTHis Majesty's Government have no power to prohibit or restrict the importation of cereals into this country on the ground of the prices at which they are offered, nor do they contemplate taking any such power. As the hon. Member is aware, the whole question of the measures which can be taken to improve the condition of British agriculture is receiving constant consideration.
§ Sir H. HOPEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the cultivation of land will be practically suspended if this dumping of Russian cereals continues?
§ Mr. HAYCOCKIs it not the fact that other countries are dumping far more grain into this country than Russia and that Russia is taking the actual market price?
§ Mr. STRAUSSIs Russian grain being sold at lower than the average price?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe earlier Supplementary Questions really concern the Department of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture. As regards the last question, my information is that Russian grain is being sold at a lower average price than that of other countries.
§ Mr. ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUELIs it not the fact that Russian sellers are taking a price for the grain, irrespective of the market price, and that they are selling at any price?