§ 28. Mr. THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether Germany has increased the quota of coal imported from Great Britain; and how many times during the last 12 months the quota has varied either up or down?
§ 30. Mr. LAWSONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the German coal commissioner has issued an order whereby English coal imports will be reduced by one-third of its present volume; and whether he can make a statement on this matter?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe quota of coal imported into Germany from Great Britain was reduced from 420,000 to 300,000 tons a month on 1st October, 1931. A further considerable reduction was made on 1st February, 1932, as to the precise extent of which inquiry has failed to elicit information from the German Coal Controller. Information has been received that still further reductions will be made of 50,000 tons during March and 50,000 tons more during April. If it should prove that this involves discrimination against British coal, I can only repeat the language I employed recently on a similar occasion; such discrimination is something His Majesty's Government look upon with the greatest seriousness, and we cannot ignore its effects upon British interests.
§ Mr. THORNEWill the right hon. Gentleman, as soon as he receives the information he is seeking, convey that information to Members of the House?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI am asking for the information, and, as soon as I have it, I think the most convenient way of making it public will be for one of the hon. Members who are interested in this matter to put down another question.
§ Mr. HANNONWill the right hon. Gentleman place before the Imports Advisory Committee the information that he receives, in order that appropriate action may be taken?
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSCan the right hon. Gentleman satisfy the House that there is no connection between this attitude of Germany and the Import Duties Act?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThere cannot be any connection between them, because this 1100 attitude of Germany began on the 1st October, long before the Import Duties Act.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSHas not the persistent reduction in the amount of coal permitted to go into Germany been in the same ratio as the attitude of the Government towards Customs duties?
§ Mr. LAWSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this decision bears very hardly on the Northern coalfields, and will he expedite his inquiries so as to get the matter settled?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANIf the hon. Gentleman were to put down a question for Tuesday next, that might be the most convenient moment at which to make public whatever information is collected.