§ Mr. Stokesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the fact that the Bretton Woods Final Act has now been submitted to Congress and is likely to be submitted to Parliament in the near future, he will now inform this House whether the Final Act in itself commits His Majesty's Government to a policy of non-discrimination in foreign trade.
§ Sir J. AndersonThe Final Act deals with monetary and exchange matters and, in the absence of other commitments enjoining non-discrimination in foreign trade, would not in itself involve such commitments.
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§ Mr. Stokesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the U.S. Government has agreed to the official British interpretation of the Bretton Woods Final Act under which His Majesty's Government reserve the right to devalue sterling whenever this is necessary in order to avoid deflation; and whether a binding undertaking has been obtained from the U.S. Government that it would exercise its voting power on the International Monetary Fund in accordance with this interpretation.
§ Sir J. AndersonI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth (Sir L. Lyle) on 15th February; as regards the second part of the Question, no such undertaking has been or will be sought from the Government of the United States.