10. Captain Arthur Evansasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the official statement by the chairman of the South Wales Control Board that South Wales has received little benefit from the foreign trade agreements since the countries concerned were not those with which South Wales had a large export trade; and whether he will examine this question to see whether any remedial action is possible?
Mr. StanleyI have seen the statement in question which seems to have overlooked the value of the Agreements made in recent years with Argentina, France, Uruguay and Italy—all markets in which South Wales has a predominant interest. Coal exports from the United Kingdom to each of these markets were higher in the period January-September, 1937, than in the corresponding periods preceding the conclusion of the respective Agreements. His Majesty's Government will continue to bear in mind the difficulties of the South Wales coal export trade.