§ 5 and 6. Mr. EMMOTTasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) 2450 whether his attention has been called to the fact that, according to the figures given in the Board of Trade Journal, the quantity of retained imports of electrical goods and apparatus was 73 per cent. higher in the three months ended 30th June, 1934, than in the three months ended 30th June, 1933; and if he will state when the Government will make a statement of the further measures they propose to adopt to protect the industry in this country;
(2) whether he is aware of the fact that the quantity of retained imports of iron and steel during the three months ended 30th June was, according to information published in the Board of Trade Journal, 60 per cent. higher than in the same period of 1933; and if he will state when the Government will be able to make an announcement as to what steps they propose to take to deal with this large increase in importation of competitive goods?
§ 7. Mr. HERBERT WILLIAMSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the quantity of regained imports of vehicles during the three months ended 30th June was, according to the figures published by his Department in the Board of Trade Journal, 155 per cent. higher than in the corresponding period of 1933; and when the Government hope to be in a position to announce steps for dealing with this rapid growth in importation of competitive goods?
§ 8. Mrs. COPELANDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the figures published in the Board of Trade Journal show that the quantity of the retained imports of cutlery, hardware, implements and instruments was 67 per cent. higher in the three months ended 30th June of this year than in the same period of last year; and what policy the Government proposes to pursue with regard to this increase in manufactured imports?
§ 9. Mr. GUYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the retained imports of manufactured goods, exclusive of non-ferrous metals, oils and fats, and chemicals, drugs, &c., increased in quantity by 23.4 per cent, in the first six months of the present year as compared 2451 with the corresponding period of last year; and, in view of the importance of this fact in relation to the position of the home manufacturing industries, what further steps the Government propose to take to assist the growth of employment in these industries?
§ 10. Colonel BALDWIN-WEBBasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, according to the information given in the Board of Trade Journal, the retained imports of machinery were in quantity 44 per cent. higher during the three months ended 30th June, 1934, than during the same period of last year; and when the Government will be ready to announce what steps will be taken to deal with this increase in the importation of competitive goods?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Dr. Burgin)If the industries concerned consider that additional protection is necessary in regard to any class of goods which is subject to duty under the Import Duties Act, they should make representations to the Import Duties Advisory Committee.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSWhat are people to do whose duties are not imposed under the Import Duties Act?
§ Dr. BURGINA question of that kind arose recently, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in answer to the hon. Member for Lincoln (Mr. Liddall), said that other Budget Duties would come up for review in the ordinary course before the next Budget and then all relevant considerations would be borne in mind.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSWhat are such industries to do in the meantime if a very grave situation should develop between now and Budget Day?
§ Dr. BURGINThey should make out their case in the ordinary way to the appropriate Government Department.