§ 12. Mr. ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUELasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will indicate the nature of the proposals for tariff reductions in favour of United Kingdom goods already submitted to the French Government by His Majesty's Government?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMI have nothing to add to the statement made on the subject on 17th February in reply to the hon. Member for Moseley (Mr. Hannon), of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.
§ Mr. CHARLES WILLIAMSCan the right hon. Gentleman be relied upon to do absolutely nothing?
§ 13. Mr. A. M. SAMUELasked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take, with regard to the request made to him by the British Chamber of Commerce in Paris to pro 9 pose tariff reductions in favour of United Kingdom goods entering France, in view of the fact that the operation of the most-favoured-nation principle at present accorded by the French Government to British goods is inacceptable to the British Chamber of Commerce in Paris?
§ Mr. GRAHAMI think the hon. Member is under some misapprehension. The Chamber are anxious that an effort should be made to induce the French Government to reduce duties on goods of special interest to this country and proposals to this end have in fact been made by His Majesty's Government. They have also expressed the view that the obligations which the French Government have undertaken to accord most-favoured-nation treatment to certain other countries may constitute an obstacle to the grant of concessions to this country, but this is obviously a matter on which no action by His Majesty's Government is possible.
§ Mr. SAMUELWould the right hon. Gentleman be prepared to make a full statement on the Board of Trade Vote, so that I need not trouble him with further questions on this matter?
§ Mr. GRAHAMYes. This, I am afraid, is one of the numerous subjects on which I have promised to enlarge when that Vote is put down.