§ 19. Mr. Rankinasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the effects of the Trade Treaty with Japan on British shipbuilding.
§ Mr. ErrollThe Treaty will ensure that the Japanese authorities give Britain equal treatment with other countries in matters affecting the sale of ships and marine equipment to Japan.
§ Mr. RankinThat would not seem to be of much help to British shipbuilding in view of the fact that the Japanese are, perhaps, not keenly interested in just selling ships. Does the President of the Board of Trade realise, however, that this Treaty, with its long-term basis and its yearly escalation of exports and imports, is exactly the sort of thing that we have for many years urged him to do with Russia? Why cannot he come to some sort of similar arrangement with Russia so that she might take our ships for her appropriate products and guarantee the help to shipbuilding, which, his colleague the Minister responsible for its care tells us, is in a worse situation today than it has ever been?
§ Mr. ErrollThis Question, which has been deferred on several occasions, deals solely with the Treaty and Japan and makes no reference whatever to Russia.
§ Mr. McMasterWill my right hon. Friend use such occasions as this when negotiating trade treaties with other 1425 countries to try to persuade such other countries to abandon the subsidising of shipbuilding which they adopt to our detriment?
§ Mr. ErrollWhenever opportunity arises, we draw attention to these and other practices which we consider undesirable in the interests of free international trade.
§ Mr. RankinEven though there may be no direct reference in the Question to Russia, surely the suggestion that the President of the Board of Trade might imitate with another country what he has already done with one country should be entertained in view of our serious unemployment? Will not the right hon. Gentleman think about this?