§ 40. Mr. LYONSasked the President of the Board of Trade what was the balance of trade between this country and Denmark for the year ended at the latest convenient date; and whether he can now state the position of any negotiations with regard to a new trade treaty?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANDuring the year 1935 the declared value of merchandise imported into the United Kingdom and consigned from Denmark exceeded the value of the. exports from the United Kingdom to that country by £17,496,000. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for the City of Chester (Sir C. Cayzer) on 11th March.
§ Mr. LYONSIn view of the great adverse balance of trade, will the right hon. Gentleman see that there is no further restriction of import licences which has been hampering so many British industries for so long in the past, and that in any further negotiations will he see that the proper amount of import licence is made a condition of the agreement?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe question of licensing is a matter which is now the subject of conversations between the various Governments and ourselves, and with regard to the adverse balance of 224 trade it was as high as £43,000,000 in 1930, but has been going down gradually until last year it was the lowest adverse balance of trade during the last seven years.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs it the policy of the Government to strike an even balance between imports and exports?