§ 12. Mr. MANDERasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Government are prepared to consider abandoning the principle of the most-favoured-nation Clause in the existing negotiations for the reduction of tariff barriers?
§ Dr. BURGINI cannot anticipate the course of our commercial negotiations with foreign countries, but provided satisfactory arrangements can be reached there is no present intention of abandoning our present most-favoured-nation rights.
§ Mr. MANDERIs not the hon. Member aware that that limits to an enormous extent our power to negotiate bilateral treaties, and will he not reconsider it?
§ Dr. BURGINThe hon. Member has perhaps not appreciated the answer. There is no present intention of abandoning this country's most-favoured-nation right.
§ Mr. MANDERDo I understand from that reply that in the course of the negotiations the Government might be prepared, in two months' time, to abandon it?