HC Deb 05 December 1934 vol 295 cc1594-5W
Mr. MALLALIEU

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies from which of the Crown Colonies and Protectorates protests have been received, either from the Governors or from the unofficial members of the legislatures, against the imposition of the additional duties upon foreign trade which His Majesty's Government urged should be adopted as a consequence of the Ottawa Agreements?

Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER

I am afraid that without elaborate research, which I should not regard as justified, I should not be able to say definitely that no protests of this kind have been received, but, broadly speaking, the only Colonies where any objection was taken to the terms of the Ottawa Agreements were Ceylon, where certain parts of the Agreements were not put into effect, and one or two West Indian Colonies, where doubts were expressed regarding the rates of duty on certain articles such as rubber shoes, hosiery, pitchpine and white oak staves. But I should certainly give a wholly inaccurate picture if I did not say at the same time that the Ottawa Agreements in general were widely welcomed and highly valued throughout the Colonial Empire.