§ 13. Mr. LENNOX-BOYDasked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the timber imported into the United Kingdom from the Soviet Union in the year 1933 was carried in British ships?
§ 14. Mr. CARTLANDasked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the tonnage of the shipping chartered to bring timber from the Soviet Union to Great Britain during this season is British?
§ 15. Mr. SANDYSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps to secure the introduction into the Anglo-Russian Trade Agreement of a clause to ensure that a definite percentage of the timber imported into Great Britain from the Soviet Union should in future be carried in British ships chartered in the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThere are no official statistics on this subject. Particulars collected by the Chamber of Shipping in respect of nearly 75 per cent. of the total imports of Russian timber to the United Kingdom in the first nine months of 1935 showed that 16 per cent. of those imports by weight were brought in British ships. On the available information the present position of British shipping in the timber trade between Russia and this country is not satisfactory, and the matter has recently been discussed with the Soviet 781 trade representative in this country with the object of seeing what steps can be taken to improve the position.
§ Mr. CARTLANDWill the right hon. Gentleman be in a position to make a statement shortly as a result of these discussions?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI am not sure how soon it will be possible to do that. The point is now under discussion between ourselves and the Russian representative.