HC Deb 14 June 1932 vol 267 cc164-6
1. Mr. McGOVERN

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs the number of unemployment camps in Australia; the names of districts where these camps are; the numbers of migrants in each camp; and whether there are any women and children living in them?

The SECRETARY of STATE for DOMINION AFFAIRS (Mr. J. H. Thomas)

As the reply is somewhat long and includes detailed statistics, I propose, with the hon. Member's permission, to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the information I have received.

Following is the information:

consideration of the agenda at Ottawa, he will see that full consideration is given to the desirability of cargoes between the Dominions and the mother country being carried in British ships manned by British crews?

2. Rear-Admiral SUETER

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether, in considering what this country desires to have placed in the final draft of the agenda for Ottawa, he will include British shipping, in view of the amount of idle British shipping and the number of unemployed British seamen?

Mr. THOMAS

I am not in a position to add anything at present to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Hertford (Rear-Admiral Sueter) on 31st May. I may say that there will be an opportunity in the Debate on Thursday to raise the whole of these matters.

21. Mr. BARCLAY-HARVEY

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that the needs of Scottish agriculture are fully appreciated by the delegates to the Ottawa Conference?

The SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Major Sir Archibald Sinclair)

A committee representative of agricultural interests is conferring with the hon. Member for Cambridge (Sir D. Newton), the agricultural adviser to the United Kingdom delegation at Ottawa. The committee contains representatives of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland, the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture, the Highland and Agricultural Society, the Scottish Land and Property Federation and the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society. Further, the Secretary to the Department of Agriculture for Scotland will accompany the delegation.

45. Earl WINTERTON

asked the Prime Minister which of the Ministers included in the British official delegation to the Ottawa Conference will deal with the subject of British forestry production and that of the Crown Colonies?

The LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL (Mr. Baldwin)

Any question as to British forestry production will be dealt with, according to circumstances, by one or other of the Ministers forming part of the delegation or by the delegation as a whole. The Secretary of State for the Colonies will naturally deal with the subject of Colonial forestry products.

Earl WINTERTON

Could not my right hon. Friend answer the question with a little more precision, and tell me which Ministers are responsible for dealing with specific questions relating to British forestry; or is it to be thrown backwards and forwards like a shuttlecock?

Mr. BALDWIN

My Noble Friend is, very naturally and properly, interested in forestry, but I think the answer would be that the responsibility is that of the delegation as a whole, and not of one particular Minister. There are about six Ministers, and there are hundreds of industries, and it is perfectly impossible to say, before you get to the Conference, who will deal with any given subject or any given question.

Mr. MAXTON

Is it not the case that the outstanding characteristic of Ministers in this Government is that they are unable to sets the wood for the trees?

50. Captain ERSKINE-BOLST

(for Captain PETER MACDONALD) asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Commonwealth Hank of Australia has decided to send the governor of the bank and its economic adviser to the Imperial Conference at Ottawa as advisers on monetary problems; and whether he will consider the desirability of including an authority on banking among the business delegates from this country?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Major Elliot)

I have no information in regard to the first part of the question beyond the statement which has appeared in the Press. In reply to the second part, as I stated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for East Islington (Miss Cazalet) on 21st April, so far as this country is concerned it is not proposed to invite the attendance of bankers or other authorities on monetary affairs at Ottawa, but the representatives of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom will be well acquainted with the views of bankers and economists on the subject.