BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19709, 9 November 1927, Page 5

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

THE SESSION OPENS VARIETY OF SUBJECTS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, November 8. (Received November 9, at 11.40 a.m.) The House of Commons autumn session opened witliout ceremony. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Listcr (President of the Board of Trade), in answer to a question. said that lor the quarter ended September JO British imports from Russia Avere £7,(100,000, compared with £6,400,000 for the same quarter in 1926. 'The exports to Russia lor tho same periods Avero £1,022,000 and £l,200,000, and the re-exports were £BOO,000 and £2,200,000. Sir Austen Chamberlain informed a questioner that the anti-British leeling in China avus diminishing. British shipping avus being experimentally used in the Upper Ya*gtso, and merchants were returning to Jdiang, Cbingsha, and Cidangking. The Government Avas considering Avbat slops to lake to deal with the revival of the anti-British boycott in Canton Mr Baldwin announced that the Bill enfranchising women at the ago of 21 would not be introduced beloro Christmas.

Mr Baldwin told a questioner that the League of Nations Preparatory Commission on Disarmament would meet on November ‘lO, and the Council of the League early in December. The latter would doubtless give effect to tho Assembly’s resolutions. Though the Soviet was participating in tho Disarmament Commission, lie was not aware that it had made any statement as regards tho extent ol its armaments.

Sir L. Worlhinglon-Evans said that he understood that the Soviet had bought 50,000 tons of nitrate, presumably for munitions, also large quantities of leather-tanning materials, lead, copper, and tungsten, which could be used for either civil or military purposes. Mr Winston Churchill admitted that the year ended October 31 Lad yielded in betting duty £2,700,000, which was only halt of what was expected.—A. and N.Z. and ‘Sun’ Cable.

Mr Baldwin, in a statement, said that tho Government, anticipating the date of the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into an Indian responsible government, had appointed tho following Sir J. Simon (chairman), Lords Burnham and Straihcona, Mr E. Cadogan, M.P., Air E. Walsh, M.P., Mr G. R. Lane-Fox, M.P., and Mr C. R. Alice, M.P. Parliament would not he asked to adopt tho Commission’s report without a lull opportunity for expression of Indian opinion of all schools; therefore it proposed to refer the report to a joint committee of both Houses.

Mr Baldwin’s motion for preference of Government business throughout the session was canned by 261) votes to 128, Mr Ramsay MacDonald and Mr Lloyd George protesting, demanding opportunities to discuss questions of unemployment, tho coal position, naval disarmament, and the new Prayer Book. Mr Baldwin undertook to try to find the opportunities demanded.