§ Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Prime Minister which are the 26 countries Reports on whose economic condition are in an advanced state; which Government Departments are preparing these Reports; whether these Reports are the work of an individual expert or of specially-appointed groups; what are the qualifications of the people charged with drawing up these Reports; what are the main points examined in them; when were these Reports ordered; and when does he expect to get them.
§ Mr. JohnstoneI have been asked to reply. The 26 countries upon which "Reviews of Commercial Conditions" are being prepared are:
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- British Empire: Canada, Australia; New Zealand, Union of South Africa, Eire, Southern Rhodesia, India and British East Africa. (8)
- Countries under British mandate: Palestine. (1)
- Foreign: United States of America, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Egypt, Iraq, Persia, Turkey, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. (17)
Reviews already with the printers are those relating to the United States of America, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Peru.
The Reviews are not entirely uniform, but they nearly all comprise sections with the following headings: Introductory; Pre-war economy; Pre-war external trade; Pre-war trade with the United Kingdom; War-time changes in external trade and general economy; Industrialisation; Opportunities for import trade. These Reviews are being prepared by the Department of Overseas Trade in co-operation with officers in the Trade Commissioner Service or Commercial Diplomatic branch of the Foreign Service, as the case may be; other Government Departments directly concerned are collaborating and the editing is being done by the Department as part of its normal work.