§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the names of the territories, other than the Dominions, within the British Empire in which no preferential tariff is given to the products of the United Kingdom?
§ Sir R. HAMILTONOn 13th April, in reply to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for the Isle of Wight (Captain Macdonald), my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies circulated a statement showing the Colonies which give preferences and t)he extent of the preferences given. I am sending a copy of this to my hon. Friend. Since then, a preferential tariff has been introduced by the Unfederated Malay State of Johore, and proposals for preferential tariffs have been submitted by the Governments of Gibraltar and of the Turks and Caicos Islands. My hon. Friend will thus see that the only cases in which preferences are not given are the following:
- (1) Certain East and West African territories, which are debarred by treaties and international conventions;
- (2) Mandated territories which are debarred by the terms of the mandate;
- (3) Certain Colonies (i.e., Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements) which are virtually free ports with a
1352 large entrepot trade and which impose revenue duties on a few articles; - (4) Malta, where the Constitution, is at present in suspension;
- (5) Ceylon, where a resolution in favour of the principle of preference to this country has recently been passed by the State Council.