Armaments (Private Manufacture).

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons at on 24 July 1934.

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Photo of Mr Anthony Eden Mr Anthony Eden , Warwick and Leamington

The table on page 46 of the report to which the hon. Member refers was drawn up by the Secretariat of the League of Nations upon the request of the chairman of the Sub-committee on the Manufacture of Arms in an endeavour to summarise the replies of the Governments to the questionnaire of the 28th October, 1932. Necessarily the table does riot take into account the detailed explanations given by the Governments in their replies, which are set out in full earlier in the report referred to. His Majesty's Government have never sought to maintain that no arms are manufactured by private firms in this country, and I do not think that there is any doubt as to the position in this country. In view, moreover, of the fact that this report is more than a year old, and that there have been recent new developments in the committee appointed to study the question of the manufacture of and trade in arms, I do not consider that any useful purpose would be served 'at this late date in moving for the alteration of the report in one particular or another.