§ 32. Mr. REMER (for Mr. HANNON)asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet given consideration to the recommendation embodied in the report of the United Kingdom trade mission to the Union of South Africa, of which Lord Kirkley was chairman, namely, that the Board of Trade should arrange a conference at which the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, the South African Trade Association, the South African Steamship Conference, and other conferences would be represented, and at which there would be a full investigation of the question of the extent to which freight rates charged upon commodities ex ported from the United Kingdom on the one hand and from foreign ports on the other are unfavourable to British trade; and if he can suggest a date for the opening of this conference?
§ Mr. W. GRAHAMThe recommendation, which the hon. Member has in mind, has been fully considered in consultation with the Chamber of Shipping with the result that there appears no necessity to vary the usual procedure of dealing with this kind of question whereby shippers arrange through their trade associations to meet the shipping conferences concerned to discuss freight rates and settle differences.