§ 16 and 17. Mr. CHORLTONasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if any steps have yet been taken to offset the competition of the Japanese with the Lancashire cotton export trade by reason of depreciated currency and lower wages;
(2) whether His Majesty's Government have considered denouncing the commercial treaty with Japan in order that this country may be free to take all steps to recover the export markets lost due to Japanese competition; and what decision has been arrived at?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Runciman)I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Stockport (Mr. Hammersley) on the 14th February, of which I am sending him a copy.
§ Mr. CHORLTONIs it not possible to speed up the decision, seeing that this is an exceedingly important matter as far as employment in Lancashire is concerned?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANWe are in close touch with the representatives of the industry on the subject, and are doing what we can.
§ Mr. HAMMERSLEYCould the right hon. Gentleman say whether, so far as his Department is concerned, a decision has been reached?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANMy hon. Friend has not stated the subject of the decision about which he asks. I am afraid I cannot answer his supplementary question until I know what he means.
§ Mr. HAMMERSLEYA decision on the question of the desirability, from the point of view of the whole of British trade, of abrogating the Anglo-Japanese Trade Agreement?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes, Sir, that question has already received our consideration.
§ Mr. HAMMERSLEYAnd decision?
§ 22. Mr. HAMMERSLEYasked the President of the Board of Trade if he can now state on what date he received 976 the representations submitted by the cotton trade in respect to Japanese competition; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI received a deputation from the Manchester Chamber of Commerce on this subject on 21st October last, and since then I have been in constant touch with that chamber. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given yesterday to the hon. Member for the Platting Division (Mr. Chorlton).
§ Mr. HAMMERSLEYIs it not a fact that representations in favour of the abrogation of the Anglo-Japanese Agreement have been made to the Board of Trade; and, if that be so, how is it that I receive a reply which is in the contrary sense?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI think that my hon. Friend must have misunderstood the situation. There are many ways in which the Anglo-Japanese Treaty may be dealt with. The use of the word "abrogation" is not precise enough to enable us to give a complete and emphatic answer to the question which my hon. Friend has put.
§ Mr. HAMMERSLEYIf the use of the word "abrogation" is not sufficiently precise to enable a reply to be given in an affirmative sense, why was it sufficiently definite to enable a reply to be given in a negative sense?
§ Colonel WEDGWOODHas not the whole difficulty arisen owing to the fall in the value of the yen relative to sterling?