§ Mr. Chorltonasked the President of the Board of Trade what compensatory arrangements, by quota or otherwise, are being made to help the Lancashire cotton trade from the effects of competition experienced in the African market; and whether the Congo Basin Treaty will be modified accordingly?
§ Mr. StanleyQuotas regulating the importation of foreign cotton piece goods are in operation over the greater part of the market in British Colonial territories in Africa except the territories covered by the Congo Basin Treaties. As regards the last part of the question, I would refer to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Withington (Mr. Fleming) on 31st May last.
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§ Mr. Chorltonasked the President of the Board of Trade when the Cotton Enabling Bill will be brought in?
§ Mr. StanleyThe proposals for this measure are at present under discussion between the Joint Committee of Cotton Trade Organisations and various interests that are likely to be affected by it. When the proposals have reached a final form and a Bill has been drafted, it is proposed to afford those affected an opportunity of expressing their views on the proposals. I am not yet able to say when it will be possible to do this, but I can assure my hon. Friend that there will be no avoidable delay on my part.
§ Mr. Hamilton Kerrasked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present position with regard to negotiations with Egypt about the tariff imposed on cotton goods imported into that country; and whether, in view of the recent heavy reductions in the imports of British cotton goods into Egypt, he can indicate from what alternative sources their requirements of such goods have been obtained?
§ Mr. StanleyAs I stated on 1st November in reply to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for the Hulme Division of Manchester (Sir J. Nall) a Lancashire mission is now in Cairo discussing with the Egyptian authorities the difficulties surrounding the export of cotton textiles to Egypt: officials of the Board of Trade are accompanying this mission in an advisory capacity. As regards the second part of the question, the Egyptian statistics show that the decline in imports of cotton piece goods from the United Kingdom in the first eight months of this year as compared with the corresponding period of 1937 has been slightly less,
Description. 1934. 1935. 1936. 1937. £ £ £ £ Arms 627,802 928,027 7l6,312 809,991 Ammunition 2,022,566 2,057,561 2,337,787 2,700,615 Torpedoes and submarine mine appliances and military, naval and ordnance stores and appliances, not elsewhere specified. 532,702 702,284 631,612 977,201 Total of arms, ammunition and military and naval stores. 3,183,070 3,687,872 3,685,711 4,487,807 NOTE.—The above figures include sporting arms and ammunition and explosives for industrial use, the aggregate value of which cannot be precisely stated.