§ 13. Mr. ROLAND ROBINSONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the new French regulations with regard to the selling of coal; whether these regulations will adversely affect the British coal exporters; and, if so, whether he proposes to make representations to the French Government?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes, Sir. I have received a draft of the Bill dealing with the organisation of the marketing of coal in France. It will clearly have some bearing on the position of our export trade, but so far as can be judged at present, it deals only with matters of French internal economy and does not discriminate against this country. I have also seen reports in the Press of an amendment affecting shipping, but I am not yet in a position to make any official statement. I am making further inquiries.