§ 11. Mr. CHORLTONasked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the further recommendations made by trade bodies that the most-favoured-nation treaties be denounced in whole or in part, if he proposes to take any action?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Runciman)I would refer my hon. Friend to my two recent letters to the Manchester Chamber of Commerce which have been published, and of which I am sending him copies, and to the answers to certain questions put to me in this House on the 1st and 22nd February, of which I am also sending him copies.
§ Mr. CHORLTONAre there not a number of trades concerned outside those connected with cotton and Manchester; and will the right hon. Gentleman answer the question as a whole, and not as dealing with any one trade?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI understood that the Manchester Chamber of Commerce were looking into this question on the broadest basis and were not restricting their inquiries to the cotton industry.
§ Mr. HAMMERSLEYMay we take it that, apart from the activities of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trade itself has examined this matter and that it will be prepared to 915 act, if necessary, to deal with the situation?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes, Sir, I think I have said in answer to questions again and again in this House, that we have it constantly under review, and in every case where our trade relations with other countries crop up, we examine the problem afresh.