Board of Trade.

Part of Orders of the Day — Supply. – in the House of Commons at on 18 July 1935.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr John Colville Mr John Colville , Midlothian and Peeblesshire Northern

It might be for the convenience of the Committee if I intervened at this point to deal with the specific questions which were raised in connection with the trade agreements. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, who will close the Debate, will deal with the general topics which have been raised. A few points were mentioned by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Darwen (Sir H. Samuel) and it might be convenient if I dealt with them now. He asked for figures as well as pecentages to demonstrate the increase of the export trade to the countries with which we have made agreements. I have secured the latest figures, which show that in the first quarter of this year exports to the foreign countries with which commercial agreements were in force were greater by £4,498,000, or approximately 20 per cent., than in the first quarter of 1933, which is the period before the agreements were negotiated. The growth of the export trade with all other foreign countries during the same period was only £2,103,000, or 7½ per cent. I think the right hon. Gentleman will agree that if this increase continues throughout the year—and I have no reason to suppose that there will be any falling off—it will be of valuable assistance to our export trade with the group of foreign countries with which we have negotiated agreements. With regard to the Empire countries with which the Ottawa Agreements were negotiated, the question was asked during my right hon. Friend's speech whether the figures for the individual Dominions could be given. The figures demonstrate that, comparing 1932 with 1934, in the first year Canada bought £16,400,000, and in the second year £19,700,000; Australia £20,000,000 and £26,300,000; New Zealand £10,400,000 and £11,400,000; South Africa £18,100,000 and £30,200,000—a very remarkable rise; Southern Rhodesia £1,200,000 and £1,700,000; India £34,100,000 and £36,700,000. The total of these countries is £100,800,000 in 1932 and £126,800,000 in 1934—a result which would have been quite impossible without the Ottawa Agreements.