§ Captain CUNNINGHAM-REIDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, as the French Government has denounced the Anglo-French Commercial Convention of 1882, negotiations have been entered into for the preparation of any commercial convention in substitution; whether he will, in the course of such negotiations, bear in mind that France committed a breach of the Convention of 1882 by the imposition, in 1922, of an embargo upon the export of steel scrap to this country whereby the contractors concerned lost £5,000,000 and the British Government £3,000,000; and will he endeavour to obtain some compensation from the French Government?
§ Dr. BURGINNegotiations are being opened with the French Government for the adjustment of commercial relations between the two countries. I do not consider, however, that the matter referred to in the second part of the question could usefully be reopened.