§ 30. Mr. DOUGLAS HACKINGasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he will send out a trade delegation to India to study the difficulties which at present confront the cotton industry of Lancashire?
§ Mr. GILLETTThe possibility of such a mission has already suggested itself to me but in my opinion, while abnormal political considerations dominate the question of India's imports of cotton goods, a trade delegation could serve no useful purpose. I shall, however, continue to bear the matter in mind.
§ Mr. HACKINGIs this not exactly the time when a delegation would be of use, because it would be of no use when conditions become normal?
§ Mr. GILLETTIf the cotton industry are inclined to regard this proposal favourably, I can only say that I hope they will make their wishes known to me.
§ 31. Mr. HACKINGasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department, whether he can make any statement as to the effect of the Indian boycott and the formation of the agency company upon the export trade of Lancashire cotton goods to India since the agreement was signed between His Excellency the Viceroy and Mr. Gandhi?
§ Mr. GILLETTI am unable to make any statement at the present stage, beyond reporting that there is as yet no evidence of orders being placed in Lancashire as a result of the Irwin-Gandhi agreement; in Bombay tentative inquiries are reported but these have not, so far as I am aware, materialised in the form of orders, though I understand that a somewhat better commercial atmosphere prevails than has been the case for some time past. The proposed agency scheme, to which the right 178 hon. Member refers, has not yet reached a definite stage, and it is, therefore, not yet possible to state its effect.
§ Mr. HACKINGIs the hon. Gentleman not aware that the statement which he has just made is a flat contradiction of the statement made by the President of the Board of Trade in his recent speech at Edinburgh?
§ Mr. GILLETTI am afraid that I cannot add anything to what I have already said on that point.