§ 44. Mr. BOOTHBYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether His Majesty's Government will consider the 382 possibility of substituting a commercial treaty based on the principle of barter for the present trade agreement with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics?
§ Major COLVILLE (Secretary, Overseas Trade Department)I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies which I gave on Monday last to questions asked by my hon. Friends the Members for Lewisham East (Sir A. Pownall) and Chislehurst (Mr. Smithers) copies of which I am sending to him.
§ Mr. BOOTHBYIs my hon. and gallant Friend aware that, although the Soviet Government has had a favourable trade balance against this country of £20,000,000 a year for some years past, it has refused to purchase a single barrel of cured herrings this year, and, in considering this question, will he bear in mind the special claims of the herring fishing industry?
§ Major COLVILLEI can assure my hon. Friend that the claims of the herring industry will not be lost sight of.