§ 78. Mr. Dodds-Parkerasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give an assurance that during the negotiations which are to take place between the original contracting parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the 11 other countries now desiring to adhere to that agreement no further diminutions of Empire preferences will be made, either by direct reductions of existing preferential margins or by a lowering of the general duty which would automatically reduce the margin of preference.
§ Mr. BottomleyNo; but I can assure the hon. Member that we shall keep in the closest touch with other members of the Commonwealth throughout the negotiations, and will not agree to reductions in preferences except in return for concessions which make the bargain as a whole fully reciprocal and mutually advantageous.