Oral Answers to Questions — Palestine – in the House of Commons at on 11 July 1922.
Colonel Josiah Wedgwood
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is prepared to revise the attitude of the West Coast Colonies towards trade spirit by allowing importation, but by charging on all imported liquor a heavy flat-rate duty which will discourage cheap spirits, check all drinking, and help to restore the revenues?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Dundee
As the hon. and gallant Member will see, if he will refer to the Convention relating to the liquor traffic in Africa, which was signed at Saint Germain-en-Laye on 10th September, 1919, ratified by His Majesty in 1920, and laid before Parliament as Command 478, His Majesty's Government are bound by treaty in the matter. Under this Convention who are pledged to prohibit the importation of trade spirits.
Colonel Josiah Wedgwood
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that the other signatories to the treaty are also carrying it out?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Dundee
That is a question which I should certainly have to consider very carefully before I attempted to answer it.
Colonel Josiah Wedgwood
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
is not that the question raised in Debate the other day to which an answer must be given?
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
