CENSURE MOVE IN COMMONS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26886, 12 November 1952, Page 9

CENSURE MOVE IN COMMONS

Mr Morrison On U.S. Aid

LONDON, November 1«. No British Government could assume that the level of American aid would continue, the Deputy-Leader of the Opposition (Mr Herbert Morrison) said in the House or Commons today when ne opened the two-day debate on the no-coniidence amendment io the Address-in-Reply to the Queen’4 speech. “American aid was always a matter of uncertainty.’’ said Mr Morrison. “At was under the last American Administration, and it will be uncertain under the new American Administration.’’ Moving the Opposition amendment, Mr Morrison said that the Queen’s speech showed no signs of a conerent, progressive, economic policy. He welcomed the improvement in Britain’s gold reserves, but warned that ii was not wise to rejoice excessively about the short-period improvements. A small change in world conditions couid lead to a worsening of trade and bring a new balance ot payments crisis. Some exports were going down, and unless they fought very hard for their export markets—which meant increasing efficiency and productivity in the home industrial production—exports might drop disastrously. Other points made by Mr Morrison

(1) Falling production, particularly of steel ana textiles, gave cause for anxiety, if not for alarm. (2) It was a most unwise policy to cut food subsidies which increased food prices and stimulated trade union demand? fur wage increases. (3) There was no sign of positive action to increase home agricultural production. The Minister of Labour (Sir Walter Monckton) denied that there had been a sudden, serious increase in unemployment. The total unemployed in the middle of October was 400,000, which was not markedly different from the October figures of the preceding years 1951 and 1950. He said there had, been an improvement in textiles and steel. “The stimulation of production and the export trade is the positive task before us,’* he said. "We are in a world buyers’ market and our industry has got to struggle to sell. We are facing a new challenge to our skill, ingenuity, and our salesmanship. The wav to beat it lies in strengthening our competitive position by higher productivity and lower costs.’’ Sir Walter Monckton said that despite the serious cut in food subsidies, the rise in food prices had been less in 1952 than in 1951.