§ MR. BIRLEYasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether it is intended to fill up the office lately held by Sir Louis Mallet, or to merge it in some other Department?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEsaid, in reply, that it was not intended to fill up this office. The main part of the business formerly conducted by the Commercial Secretary of the Board of Trade, consisting of Reports to other Departments of the Government, and especially to the Foreign Office, had greatly fallen off of late years and had become insufficient to occupy the time of such an officer. It was, therefore, proposed to establish a new department at the Foreign Office for that purpose. The effect of that change would be highly advantageous to the public service, because the Foreign Office having necessarily in its hands the conduct and management of all international transactions, whether political or commercial, and being mainly responsible for them, would, for the future, assume more fully that responsibility, and would contain within itself all the knowledge necessary for dealing with international matters of a commercial character.