Sir Douglas Hacking: I understand that my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Bournemouth is prepared to accept a suggestion that this board should not be set up by my right hon. Friend in present circumstances. I do not agree that he should make that proviso. The hon. Member opposite was at one time an Under-Secretary of State, and if things went wrong in this House, or something was done which was not...
Sir Douglas Hacking: Perhaps the hon. Member would correct me.
Sir Douglas Hacking: Again I accept the correction. He says that the report was drawn up in the main by civil servants and it fails because, as the hon. Member claims, civil servants have no adventurous spirit. I want to know what is to happen when we get this wonderful Socialist State which depends so much on civil servants? Are we to have no adventurous spirit then? I leave the hon. Member to give further...
Sir Douglas Hacking: I said that the personnel of the board only is being dealt with at the present time. We have to get policy before we can carry out administration, and there is obviously not the same necessity to hurry to appoint the members of the Committee. The first thing to do is to get on with the election of the members of the board and we are getting on with that as quickly as we can in order that we...
Sir Douglas Hacking: No, Sir. It is not the intention that they should be whole-time members, nor that they should be paid, but they will be men of great experience and ability, and we hope that when the names are published to this House they will give full confidence to those who have taken a great interest in this work.
Sir Douglas Hacking: No, Sir. They will both have power of recommendation, but it is not at the moment part of the policy of the Government that they should actually distribute funds. It may later be found desirable that the Committee should have something to do with the distribution, but it is very unlikely. Certainly, the board will not have anything of that kind to do.
Sir Douglas Hacking: Certainly.
Sir Douglas Hacking: No, Sir, it will only contain representatives from the United Kingdom. The appointments will be made by the United Kingdom, Government, but schemes, when they have been selected and approved will be submitted to the Governments overseas. If and when the Governments overseas accept the proposals, then they will probably be put into operation.
Sir Douglas Hacking: Legislation of a nature similar to that referred to by the hon. Member has been passed in New Zealand, the State of Victoria in Australia, the Provinces of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, and in Southern Rhodesia.
Sir Douglas Hacking: I am rather surprised that that should be the hon. Gentleman's desire.
Sir Douglas Hacking: I am aware that suggestions to this effect were made during the passage of the Newfoundland Bill of 1933. It is clear that a proposal raising such wide issues could not be considered in relation to Newfoundland alone. Apart from this, however, my right hon. Friend does not consider the suggestion a practicable one as regards Newfoundland.
Sir Douglas Hacking: My right hon. Friend has inquired into it.
Sir Douglas Hacking: Yes, Sir, but the case has already been considered on its own merits. There are many difficulties, and one of them is the danger of the Newfoundland representatives in this House being in disagreement with the Commissioners in their own country.
Sir Douglas Hacking: My right hon. Friend has received the resolutions through the Governor and, in accordance with the request of the signatories, has laid them before His Majesty the King. He is satisfied, however, that the terms of the resolutions are not founded on any substantial basis, and he has been unable to advise His Majesty to take any action thereon.
Sir Douglas Hacking: It does not follow that those conditions would be improved by any change of Government. There are economic reasons for the present depression.
Sir Douglas Hacking: This Resolution cannot be regarded as in any way representing the feelings of the majority of the people of Newfoundland.
Sir Douglas Hacking: Yes, I am aware of that. I am also aware, having read the Press reports, that at the meeting the speeches were not regarded very seriously by those present. It is clear that the resolution cannot be regarded as representative of public opinion in the island.
Sir Douglas Hacking: My right hon. Friend is aware that a duty has been imposed by His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia on United Kingdom apparel elastic under one inch in width since the signature of the Ottawa Agreements, and that the duty is now 26ΒΌ per cent. ad valorem, excluding primage duty. He is also aware of the fact that the Commonwealth Tariff Board have been requested to review...
Sir Douglas Hacking: I do not think we are aware of that yet, but Article 10 of the Agreement covers this matter. It provides that tariffs may not be prohibitive, but may be competitive. Until we have the details of this increase, we are not in a position to make any representations.
Sir Douglas Hacking: We cannot take any steps, providing the Agreement is being maintained.