HC Deb 04 July 1933 vol 280 cc154-6
12. Mr. DAVID GRENFELL

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total value of British capital investments in Japanese, Chinese and Indian industries?

Dr. BURGIN

I regret that the information for which the hon. Members asks is not available.

Mr. GRENFELL

Cannot this information be obtained by the Department?

Dr. BURGIN

The question which the hon. Member asks formed the 'subject-matter of certain correspondence in which particulars were given from which the hon. Member might obtain the information for which he asks

Mr. GRENFELL

Why cannot the House be given that information, even if it is only approximately correct?

Mr. LANSBURY

Is it not a matter of some importance to the country to know how much British capital is invested in these countries, which hon. and right hon. Members are continually complaining about because of the competition ? Is not the country entitled to know whose money is setting up the competition?

Dr. BURGIN

The question asked is whether the total value of British capital investments in Japanese, Chinese and Indian industries can be given. The answer is that there is no official information on that point. A course has been indicated to the hon. Member from which he can probably obtain a reply, but that reply is not official. I cannot give him an official answer if the information is not available.

Mr. LANSBURY

Surely, if the Minister is entitled to refer my hon. Friend to a source from which information can be obtained, the Minister himself could get that information and put it before the House. The country is entitled to know who it is that has invested money which is competing with British industries, seeing that so much complaint is made about that competition

Dr. BURGIN

If I give an 'answer in the House containing certain information, the country is entitled to know whether the information can be verified.

Mr. H. WILLIAMS

Will the hon. Gentleman say what investigations were made between 1929 and 1931 in view of the allegations made in 1926 ?

Sir ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUEL

Is it not a physical impossibility to obtain this information?