HC Deb 06 July 1933 vol 280 cc498-500
38. Mr. RONALD ROSS

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the percentage of increase of Irish Free State butter imports into the United Kingdom during the first five months of the present year compared with the first five months of last year?

Dr. BURGIN

The quantity of butter imported into this country and registered during the first five months of 1933 as consigned from the Irish Free State showed an increase of 91 per cent. as compared with the corresponding period of 1932.

Mr. ROSS

Will the hon. Member convey this interesting increase of 91 per cent. to the Secretary of State for the Dominions, as it seems to have escaped his notice?

49 and 50. Mr. ROSS

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs (1) what is the present average duty per hundredweight on Irish Free State butter; and what is the total amount per hundredweight of the Irish Free State Government subsidy and export duty;

(2) whether his tariff policy with regard to the Irish Free State is solely for the purpose of collecting revenue or whether it makes any provision for the protection of producers in the United Kingdom from the effects of counter-action by the Irish Free State Government?

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

The present average duty per cwt. on Irish Free State butter imported into the United Kingdom is about 22s. per cwt. The total of the subsidy and export bounty granted by the Irish Free State Government on butter exported amounts approximately to 80s. per cwt. in the case of creamery butter, and 50s. per cwt. in the case of other butter. As I informed my bon. Friend in reply to a supplementary question which he put to me on the 4th July, the policy of the Government as set out in the Irish Free State (Special Duties) Act, 1932, is to collect revenue to meet the loss incurred by the failure of the Irish Free State Government to implement their obligations.

Mr. ROSS

As the right hon. Gentleman's object is to collect revenue, and as he is not charging anything like the maximum duty, why does he not put up that duty to something bearing some relation to the bounty which he has produced by starting this policy which he is so ineffectually carrying out?

Mr. THOMAS

The last service that could be rendered in this dispute would be to assume that the British Government were to be influenced by a policy for Northern Ireland or for any other part. I repeat that the Government's unanimous policy in imposing these duties is not to differentiate either with Northern Ireland or Southern Ireland or even British agriculture, but is to consider solely, first that the Irish Free State is still a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations; secondly, that they owe the United Kingdom money, and we intend to take the steps that we feel necessary to obtain that money, but we do not intend to be accused of any vindictive policy or ulterior motive.

Mr. ROSS

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that by his present policy of allowing the bounty to exceed the duty by 60s. a cwt., he is making the butter producers of the United Kingdom pay the money which he is trying to get; and has he any anxiety that anyone may think him vindictive because of this feeble policy?

Mr. THOMAS

Any question of the imposition of these duties so far as British agriculture is concerned becomes a question of the British Government's agricultural policy and any question by a Parliamentary private secretary on that, ought to be directed to the Minister of Agriculture and not to me.

Mr. DAVID GRENFELL rose

—

Mr. SPEAKER

This is becoming a debate.