Mr Stanley Baldwin: No, I must repeat what I said yesterday. We must wait and see how we get on. I assure hon. Members that there is no desire to be unreasonable, and we will wait and see how we get on.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: I really cannot answer a question about next year now. These questions are always under consideration, and I suggest most respectfully that my hon. Friend should put his question again in 12 months' time.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: I hope that it will not be necessary, but we must get that Bill to-morrow. It is a Bill of urgency.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: As the House is aware, a new Trade Agreement has recently been concluded with Canada, and general trade discussions are now in progress with the Minister of Finance of New Zealand. It is proposed that at the Imperial Conference there should be a general review of the progress of Empire trade and questions arising therefrom, but that any questions arising out of the Ottawa Agreements should be...
Mr Stanley Baldwin: I do not quite know what the hon. Member means, but I might say, in addition to what I have said in the answer, that the British Government are not putting down on the agenda any specific proposals such as the House might desire to discuss. Whether any Dominion Government will do so we do not know, but they have not put anything down as yet.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: With regard to the Canadian agreement, I understand that there will be some forthcoming legislation on which that could be discussed. Any of these matters dealing with trade agreements can, I understand, be raised on the pertinent Estimates. There is no particular item on the agenda which will give the opportunity that the hon. Member desires.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: I do not really know about that.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: I fully appreciate the importance of migration within the Empire, and I expect that there will be an opportunity during the course of the Imperial Conference for exchanges of views on the subject. In many of its aspects, however, the question of migration is more suited for discussion with individual Governments than in full conference, and I do not think that there would be any advantage in...
Mr Stanley Baldwin: I think there probably will be. I hope there will be.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: The following are the figures for which the hon. Member asks. These include those granted to residents in the Dominions, India and the Colonies. They do not include appointments to, and promotions in, the various Orders of Chivalry: Peerages 67 Baronetcies 59 Knights Bachelor 663 I see that the figures include the month of November. The hon. Member asks for them since November. I hope...
Mr Stanley Baldwin: If the hon. Member were in my place he would see that he could not consider that until after the Coronation.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: The Motion for the appointment of a Select Committee to consider the Civil List will be taken first; then we shall move the Second Reading of the Merchant Shipping (Spanish Frontiers Observation) Bill and take the Committee stage of Vote A of the Air Estimates. I understand that the discussion on the Committee stage of that Vote will be formal, the Debate taking place on the Report stage on...
Mr Stanley Baldwin: It is the practice of this House, before proceeding to the ordinary and sometimes contentious business, on an occasion when we have lost one of our most distinguished Members, to pause for a moment, and for the whole House as a House to pay tribute to that man's life and work. A most painful duty has fallen to my lot on more than one such occasion, and I would indeed that I could have been...
Mr Stanley Baldwin: I beg to move, That a Select Committee be appointed to consider His Majesty's Most Gracious Message of the 16th March relating to the Civil List and to Provision for Her Majesty the Queen and for Members of the Royal Family and other matters connected therewith. The House, I am sure, will understand why to-day I am rising to move the Motion which should have been moved by my right hon. Friend...
Mr Stanley Baldwin: In answer to my hon. Friend I may say that I cannot pledge the Committee. It all depends on what the Committee decide to do, but the Government have no objection to this matter going before the Select Committee if the Select Committee should think fit to consider it. That is as far as I can go to-day.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: A White Paper on this subject is now in course of preparation.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: I will not give a promise, but we shall do our best to get it out before Easter.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: The subject referred to in the last part of the question is constantly under the consideration of the Government in connection with major questions of agricultural policy and of overseas trade, and I do not think that there would be any advantage in instituting a special inquiry such as my hon. and gallant Friend suggests.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: In reply to the first part of the question, I have nothing to add to the remarks of my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence in his statement on i8th February. The Government are considering every aspect of food supply in time of war, including home production, in relation to Defence, but I am unable at present to make a statement on the subject.
Mr Stanley Baldwin: I will answer the second part of the question first. We are proposing to suspend the Eleven o'Clock Rule, in order to obtain the Air Estimates which are on the Paper. In regard to the first part of the question, to-morrow, as already announced, we shall first take the Motion to set up a Select Committee to consider the Civil List. Afterwards, the Second Reading of the Merchant Shipping...
