HC Deb 28 March 1933 vol 276 cc825-6
6. Mr. GRAHAM WHITE

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value per head of the population of the imports from Great Britain into Australia, Canada, Denmark, Holland and New Zealand in 1932 or the latest convenient year?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

Official particulars of the value of the imports in 1932 are not yet available for all the countries named. The values of the total exports consigned to these countries from the United Kingdom during 1932 per head of the population of each country were, however, as follow:

£ s. d.
Australia … … 3 3 0
Canada … … 1 13 1
Denmark … … 2 17 9
Netherlands … … 1 15 8
New Zealand … … 6 19 8
7. Mr. WHITE

asked the President of the Board of Trade the circumstances in which a duty of 10 per cent. has been imposed on telephone apparatus exported from the United Kingdom to Canada which was formerly free of duty?

8. Mr. HOLDSWORTH

asked the President of the Board of Trade the reason why the preferences granted by Canada to the United Kingdom on scrap aluminium, amyl alcohol, dyes and dyeing compounds, xanthates, nitrate of soda, olive oil, and other commodities, have now been withdrawn?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

His Majesty's Government in Canada recently suggested to His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom that, in return for certain new concessions, some readjustments affecting United Kingdom goods should be made in the Canadian Customs Tariff. Consultations between the two Governments as provided for in Article 23 of the United Kingdom/Canadian Trade Agreement are still proceeding, and I am not yet in a position to make a full statement.

Mr. WHITE

Can the right hon. Gentleman intimate the nature of the concessions at this stage?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

I think I would rather leave that for a later statement.

Mr. HOLDSWORTH

Can the right hon. Gentleman inform us whether it would be possible for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to take the same steps as the Canadian Government have taken? Bearing in mind the Ottawa Agreement, will it be possible for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to put on the Free List things that are already subject to duty from the Dominions?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

I think that question might be left to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.