IN THE COMMONS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1929, Page 6

IN THE COMMONS

QUESTIONS ANSWERED. (British Official Wireless). RUGBY, Dec. 23.. For the first time for more than forty years, the House of Commons will not rise for the Christmas recess until Christmas Eve. The House will meet to-morrow at eleven in the morning. There are ninety-eight questions on the paper, affecting most of the Departments of State, and discussion on the motion for adjournment will allow a wide range of subjects to be raised. NAVAL POLICY. Mr MacDonald informed Commander A. R. J. Soutbby that lie had not contemplated drawing up any .specific terms of reference for the Naval Conference, beyond those already mentioned. Major R. Ross: Will it be possible for the British representatives to entertain proposals lor the use of the British fleet in other people’s wars? Mi -MacDonald: Certainly not. The question of naval policy, apart from naval strength, will not be considered by the conference. TARIFF TRUCE. Commander C Dollars asked if Cabinet intended that the agreement for a tariff truce would be subject to tbe approval of Parliament, also if it would lie submitted' to the Imperial Conference. Mr William Graham, President of the Board of Trade, replied in the negative to the second part of tbe question. Any general agreement, be said, would be laid before the House for ratification. RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA Mr Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary, replying to General Sir John Davison, said he did not consider that any further action was necessary in relation to the Soviet’s agreement with the British interpretation regarding propaganda contained in the 1924 Treaty. Sir John Davison: Are you satisfied that the point is being met? Mr Henderson : Only experience will show. Replying to Sir Frederick Hall, Mr Henderson said that the Soviet’s responsibility for the actions ol the Communist International would not be included iu the discussions with M. Sokolnikoff. Matters of loans, compensation and confiscated British propensities would be discussed. MY Philip Snowden Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that, if any of the silk or sugar duties were repealed. it would lie necessary to take the exceptional course of proposing a scheme of rebates to meet the position of holders of duty-paid stocks. Similarly. if any of the M’Kennn Duties were repealed, drawbacks on duty-paid exports would continue, as in 1924. AIR MAIL EXTENDED. .(The Secretary for India, Captain Wedgwood Bonn, said that the Karachi and Delhi air mail line would be inaugurated with the air mail which would arrive at Karachi from London on Dec. 28th.