§ Mr. SMITH-CARINGTONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the disadvantages from which tourist traffic and trade between Great Britain and Newfoundland suffers owing to the infrequency of direct steamship sailings between British ports and St. Johns; and if he can hold out any prospects of assistance from the £1,000,000 Empire Development Fund towards subsidising or guaranteeing traffic to transatlantic steamers calling at St. Johns?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI am aware that the direct steamship service between this country and Newfoundland is somewhat infrequent and I am glad to see that the possibility of improvement was amongst the matters discussed in Newfoundland this summer by the delegation of the Empire Parliamentary Association, of which my hon. Friend was a member. As regards the latter part of the question, the present position as regards the recommendation of the Imperial Economic Committee was explained by the Prime Minister on Monday. In view of this, my hon. Friend will appreciate that the time has not yet come to consider possible individual items of expenditure.