§ 36. Mr. EVERARDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any agreements were made at the Ottawa Conference by the New Zealand and Australian authorities as to the imports of beef into Great Britain during the year 1933?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI would refer my hon. Friend to Article 6 and Schedule H of the Ottawa Agreement with His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia and to Article 4 of the Ottawa Agreement with His Majesty's Government in New Zealand and the letter referred to in that Article. The agreements are set out in the First Schedule to the Ottawa Agreements Act, 1932.
§ Mr. EVERARDMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether before next year the Government intend to revise the amount of the quotas in view of the desperate state of the trade in this country?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe amount of the quotas is under consideration from time to time and has, I think, been dealt with twice, comparatively recently. We shall watch the tendency very carefully and take action thereon.
§ 37 and 38. Mr. EVERARDasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the quantities of beef imported into this 724 country in the year ended 30th June, 1932, from New Zealand and Australia, respectively;
(2) the total imports of beef from New Zealand and Australia, respectively, from the beginning of the year 1933 to date?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe quantity of beef imported into the United Kingdom in the year ended 30th June, 1932, from Australia was 1,124,000 cwts. and from New Zealand was 377,000 cwts. The corresponding figures for the nine months ended the 30th September, 1933, are from Australia 821,000 cwts. and from New Zealand 632,000 cwts. These figures do not include tinned, canned, etc., beef, salted beef, nor extracts and essences.