§ Lieut. -Colonel Bromley-Davenportasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the official announcement of the Argentine Ambassador that the aim of the Argentine Government is £100 million worth of trade a year between Great Britain and the Argentine, and that every pound sterling earned by the Argentine on the sale of meat or selling grain has been, and will always be, spent on the products of British industry; what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure the implementation of this undertaking during the current year and future years; and what share, in particular, of the British exports to the Argentine will be made up of cotton piece goods.
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§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI have seen a report of the statement made by the Argentine Ambasador and I warmly welcome it as indicating a desire on the part of the Argentine Government to see trade between our two countries restored to something like its traditional volume.
Arrangements were made in the Protocol concluded on 31st December last about our sales of oil, coal and tinplate and the Anglo-Argentine Mixed Consultative Committee in Buenos Aires recently settled the quotas to be allowed for our exports of less essential goods. The Committee is now examining the trade possibilities for our other exports.
So far as cotton piece goods are concerned, I cannot add to the reply which I gave on 12th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Clitheroe (Mr. Fort).