§ 3. Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the President of the Board of Trade the value of the imports in 1931 and 1933, respectively, of those classes of goods on which, result of recent agreements with foreign countries, we are debarred either from imposing any duties at all or from imposing higher duties than those which were in operation at the time the agreements were entered into?
§ Dr. BURGINI am having a statement prepared which I will send to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
§ 4. Mr. ALAN TODDasked the President of the Board of Trade the total value of imports in 1931, 1932, and 1933, respectively, of all those classes of goods in respect of which additional duties, higher than those imposed under the Import Duties Act which came into force on 26th April, 1932, have been subsequently imposed?
§ Dr. BURGINParticulars of the value of imports of goods dutiable under the Import Duties Act, and subsequent additional Orders are given in Table 8 of Volume II of the Annual Statement of Trade for 1932, for the period beginning 1st March, 1932, when the Act came into operation, and ending 31st December of that year. Corresponding particulars for periods prior to the 1st March, 1932, are not available, while those in respect of 1933 have not yet been compiled.
§ 18. Major-General Sir ALFRED KNOXasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is prepared to seek a revision of the trade agreement with Germany under which the duties on clocks were reduced from 33⅓per cent. to 20 per cent. in some cases and 25 per cent. in others, having regard to the fact that the imports of clocks and clock movements increased from 419,712 in the first two months of 864 1933 to 677,245 in the corresponding period of 1934, an increase of 61.4 per cent.?
§ Dr. BURGINNo, Sir.
§ Sir A. KNOXIn view of the large percentage of increase in imports in a single year does the hon. Member think that this British industry has sufficient protection?
§ Dr. BURGINThat is another matter. What I have said is that once a trade agreement has been made with a foreign country the Board of Trade does not propose to interfere with it until it has had a run.
§ 24. Mrs. COPELANDasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is prepared to seek a revision of the trade agreements with Norway and Sweden under which duties on kraft paper were reduced from 25 per cent. to 16⅔per cent., having regard to the fact that the retained imports of kraft paper increased from 215,277 cwts. in the first two months of 1933 to 365,366 cwts. in the corresponding period of 1934?
§ Dr. BURGINNo, Sir. The import duty on kraft paper was reduced as part of a trade bargain concluded for a term of three years under which this country obtained concessions in, other directions.
§ Mr. BURNETTWill the hon. Gentleman bear in mind, when the time comes to reconsider this matter, that it is not only the reduced duty but also the Scandinavian exchange with which the British manufacturers of kraft paper have to contend?
§ Dr. BURGINYes, Sir, all those considerations will be borne in mind.
§ Brigadier-General Sir HENRY CROFTCan the hon. Gentleman say how much coal these increased imports represent?
§ Dr. BURGINNot without having the question on the Paper.
§ 46. Sir WILLIAM RAYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the large increase in the quantities of many classes of manufactured goods imported in the first two months of the present year as compared with the corresponding period of last year; and whether, under these circumstances, he is prepared to provide 865 in the Budget for a general increase in the level of import duties now in operation?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hore-Belisha)I would refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to the hon. Member for the Stroud Division (Mr. Perkins) on the 28th March.
§ Mr. HERBERT WILLIAMSAm I to understand that His Majesty's Government mean that they have no responsibility for the general level of tariff duties?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI hope my hon. Friend will not understand anything of the kind.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSBut is it not the ease that all previous answers have said that this is a matter solely for the Import Duties Advisory Committee?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAMy hon. Friend is as well acquainted with the law as I am, and he can draw his own deductions.
§ 50. Mr. LYONSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of applications for higher duties that have been under the consideration of the Import Duties Advisory Committee for periods exceeding 12 months and six months, respectively?
§ 54. Sir WILFRID SUGDENasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the maximum and the minimum periods, respectively, which have elapsed between an application to the Import Duties Advisory Committee for an additional duty and the date on which an additional duty was imposed as a sequel to such application; and will he say on what basis the variation of period is agreed for the various types of products concerned therein?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI am advised that it is difficult to say in many cases at what date tentative inquiries become a definite and documented application by the industry concerned. Moreover, an application may be held in abeyance by the applicants, or by the Import Duties Advisory Committee on the ground that the time is not ripe to take a definite decision either to reject it or to make a recommendation. Additional duties 866 have been imposed or varied on very many classes of goods, large and small, and I do not think I should be justified in asking the committee to undertake the lengthy research that would be involved in endeavouring to estimate periods which could not, for the reasons just given, convey any useful information.
§ 53. Mr. LYONSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the length of time taken by the Import Duties Advisory Committee in dealing with applications by certain industries, he will introduce amending legislation to empower immediate action where excessive importations are shown or where great delay is likely, so as to prevent the uncertainty and forestalling which may ensue?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAMy hon. Friend's suggestion would appear to involve putting on the duty first and inquiring into its desirability afterwards, and I do not think legislation of such a nature would be justified.
§ Mr. LYONSWill my hon. Friend consider listening to the representations of those industries which have been suffering in the manner I have indicated?