§ 51. Mr. ANEURIN BEVANasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the names of all those armament firms to which licences for the export of arms to foreign countries have been granted in the years 1928 to 1931, inclusive?
§ Major COLVILLENo, Sir. Such information is always treated as confidential.
§ 52. Mr. BEVANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any licences have been granted to firms in this country for the export of arms to China and Japan during the past two years; if so, what was the nature of the arms; what are the names of the firms to which such licences were given; and what was the value of the arms supplied?
§ Major COLVILLEYes, Sir. During the past two years licences to export war material to the Governments of both countries have been issued. The licences were in respect of machine guns, rifles, anti-aircraft guns, ammunition, T.N.T., cordite, neonite, tanks, armoured vehicles, aircraft armament, fire-control gear, naval shells and submarine mines. As I have already stated, I am not prepared to disclose the names of the firms to whom the licences were issued. As regards the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 1st December to the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Cocks) on this subject, of which I am sending him a Copy.
§ Mr. BEVANThe hon. and gallant Gentleman has not answered the last part of my question, as to the value of the arms supplied. Can he give that information?
§ Major COLVILLEThat point is dealt with in the last part of my answer, in which I refer the hon. Member to a previous answer dealing with that point.
§ Mr. THORNEWill the hon. and gallant Gentleman give any reasons why he is not prepared to give the names of the firms in question?
§ Major COLVILLEThe policy has been carried out by successive Governments, and I see no reason to depart from it.
Viscountess ASTORDoes not the hon. and gallant Gentleman think that it would be a splendid thing once more to bring before the League of Nations that firearms should only be made by Governments, and not by private firms?