§ 1. Mr. LAMBERTasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what bounties, voluntary or compulsory, are given to the exporters of butter and cheese from Austrailia and New Zealand to this country?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for DOMINION AFFAIRS (Mr. Malcolm MacDonald)As the House is aware, my right hon. Friend is a member of the United Kingdom Delegation to the World Monetary and Economic Conference, and will not therefore be in a position to reply personally to questions for the present. My right hon. Friend understands that no bounties are paid by the Governments of the Commonwealth of Australia or New Zealand to exporters of butter or cheese from those Dominions to the United Kingdom. Under a voluntary scheme operated by the producers of butter in the Commonwealth of Australia, a levy is made upon all butter produced, and from the proceeds of this certain payments are made in respect of exports of butter. The rates are varied from time to time. At 3 the present date the levy is, he understands, 1¾d. per lb. and the payment to exporters 3d. per lb.
§ Mr. LAMBERTIs the hon. Member aware that these bounties, coupled with a depreciated currency, are having an unfair effect in competition with the British farmer?