17. Captain PETER MAC DONALDasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether his attention has been called to the difficulties that have been placed in the way of English trade with South Africa as the result of dumping duty having to be paid on importations of British goods; and whether he proposes to draw the attention of the Government of South Africa to this matter, with a view to having the dumping duty on British goods removed as early as possible?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the DOMINIONS (Mr. J. H. Thomas)Yes, Sir, my attention has been called to the "exchange" dumping duty imposed on goods imported into the Union of South Africa from countries whose currencies are depreciated in relation to Union currency; particulars of the duty appeared in the issues of the Board of Trade Journal of the 26th November and of the 17th and 24th December of last year. As regards the second part of the question, I hope that opportunity will arise for discussion of the matter at the Ottawa Conference.
Captain MACDONALDWill the right hon. Gentleman point out that it is a very ungenerous response to the extremely generous gesture made by this Government to South Africa?