§ 27. Commander BELLAIRSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps to require of every ship unloading timber in this country a declaration from the captain that no forced 1613 labour or prison labour was used in the loading of the ship?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMI have no power to require any such declaration, and I am not prepared to seek that power.
§ Commander BELLAIRSWhy reject a simple means of acquiring information of what takes place under the captain's eyes in a matter in which the public are very much interested? Are we to be forced to suppose that the Government are in favour of forced labour?
§ Mr. GRAHAMThe hon. and gallant Member must not make that assumption. This matter has been very fully debated, at Question Time, at all events, and I do not think that a declaration of this kind, even of it were obtainable, would be of any real value.