HC Deb 06 May 1958 vol 587 cc1005-6
6. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the official proposals by the Prime Minister of Canada for the encouragement of reciprocal trade with Great Britain; and what steps he is taking to ensure that Scotland shall secure its due proportion of Canadian trade.

The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Niall Macpherson)

The proposal made by the Prime Minister of Canada is primarily a matter for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will continue to keep in close touch with him, and also with anyone else who is working for the expansion of Scottish exports to Canada.

Mr. Hughes

Why does the Minister try to shove this on to the President of the Board of Trade? Does he realise that the Prime Minister of Canada is here handing him an unrivalled opportunity for developing the trade of Scotland and he is neglecting it? Is it not a disgraceful attitude for him to take? Will he try to mend his ways?

Mr. Macpherson

The answer is that it is the constitutional responsibility of the President of the Board of Trade and not of the Secretary of State. It would surely be undesirable to duplicate the very comprehensive organisation of the Board of Trade by setting up Scottish Departments parallel with it.

Mr. Woodburn

Would the Secretary of State, in his responsibility for the oversight of Scottish prosperity, call the attention of the Board of Trade to the close connections between the populations of Scotland and Canada and to the fact that more use should be made of this reciprocal friendship in binding the trade of the two nations together? Not enough has been done to utilise the latent reserve of friendship which comes from these sources. More might be done to promote trade between Scotland and Canada, independently of what may be done in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Mr. Macpherson

I am quite certain that the President of the Board of Trade is well aware of that. If he had not been aware of it, he would certainly have been made aware of it after his visit to Canada last week.