§ 11. Sir A. LAMBERT WARDasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether an agreement has been reached with the Portuguese Government with regard to the discrimination which has been practised against British shipping in Portuguese ports?
§ Mr. DALTONThe Portuguese Government decreed the abolition of discriminatory maritime and quay dues on the 2nd of February, and regulations putting the decree into effect were promulgated on the 1st of July. A few days later the Portuguese Government decided to abolish progressively, over a period of years, flag discrimination in the form of Customs rebate on goods carried in Portuguese bottoms. The text of the decree which is to give effect to this decision has, however, not yet been rceived.
§ Mr. HANNONWhy is it that, in view of the constant help that we have given to the Portuguese Government in the past, any discrimination at all should be exercised in relation to our shipping?
§ Mr. DALTONI hope that we have now arrived at a stage, as a result of representations both by the late Ambassador and by his successor, by which this discrimination may be removed, or at any rate an undertaking given that within a very short period of time it will be removed.
| THE FOLLOWING TABLE shows the total quantity and declared value of (1) tin ore and concentrates and (2) tin blocks, ingots, bars and slabs imported into the United Kingdom during the years 1929 and 1930 and consigned from foreign and British countries, respectively. | ||||||
| — | Quantity. | Declared Value. | ||||
| 1929. | 1930. | 1929. | 1930. | |||
| Tin ore and concentrates: | Tons. | Tons. | £ | £ | ||
| Consigned from foreign countries | … | … | 75,529 | 60,683 | 8,360,044 | 4,655,614 |
| Consigned from British countries | … | … | 17,247 | 15,771 | 2,351,904 | 1,629,486 |
| Tin blocks, ingots, bars and slabs: | ||||||
| Consigned from foreign countries | … | … | 1,612 | 625 | 352,673 | 98,464 |
| Consigned from British countries | … | … | 13,078 | 11,222 | 2,677,847 | 1,754,724 |
| NOTE.—The re-exports of imported tin ore and concentrates are relatively small, but in the case of tin blocks, ingots, bars and slabs they are large, amounting to 11,853 tons (£2,541,022), or 80 per cent. of the total imports, in 1929, and 7,535 tons (£1,210,799), or about 65 per cent. of the total imports, in 1930, |