§ 48. Mr. LEVYasked the Prime Minister whether he can now outline broadly the proposals which will be put forward by the British mission in the approaching debts conference?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 23rd February to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Mr. Hammersley), to which I have nothing to add.
§ Sir JOHN WARDLAW-MILNEHas the date yet been fixed, or is there any likelihood of its being fixed soon?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo date has yet been fixed. I am sure the House will understand that, as the inauguration was only on Saturday, matters cannot yet have gone that far.
§ Mr. LANSBURY (by Private Notice)asked the Prime Minister whether he is now in a position to assure the House that before the vital discussion with the United States Government on the question of War Debts takes place he will, in circumstances which will permit Debate, make a statement outlining the broad principles of the policy the Government propose to pursue, and whether he can make any statement of any action proposed by the Government in relation to the financial crisis which has arisen in the United States?
The PRIME. MINISTERThe situation is at present so uncertain that I am sure my right hon. Friend will appreciate the difficulty at the present time of trying to define the occasion on which a Debate on War Debts might profitably take place. As regards the last part of the question, His Majesty's Government are following with sympathetic interest the serious developments of the internal banking difficulties in the United States. No action by His Majesty's Government seems to be called for at the present moment.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIn view of the fact that the right hon. Gentleman has no notion when these conferences are to take place, and that there are between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 unemployed people in this country who have been told, that they must wait for these conferences before there can be any recovery, surely this House should be asked to discuss whether some measures cannot be taken by ourselves to deal with the matter? If it is possible for the President of the United States to take action immediately on his appointment, is it not time that this Government, which has been in office 806 now for some 18 months, should take some definite and immediate measures to relieve the situation in this country?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat is a totally different question from that put by the right hon. Gentleman in his private notice question. I have answered his question.
§ Mr. LANSBURYWhat are people outside to think when the House of Commons cannot discuss these important questions and when we are shelved off month after month and told to wait, Meanwhile people are starving. I want to know what we exist for?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere was nothing about this in the private notice question which the right hon. Gentleman submitted to me.