§ SIR L. PLAYFAIRI should like to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he can furnish the House with an Official Return of Bounties given by foreign States in the production and export of sugar, giving the amounts for each country separately for each of the last ten years?
§ *SIR M. HICKS BEACHI do not think it will be possible to give the information desired in the form of a Return for a long period of years; and the Board of Trade, in giving such a Return for the present time, might be prejudging the action of the International Commission to be appointed under the Convention for the purpose. The matter, however, is being dealt with in a general manner in a Report now being prepared, which will be laid before Parliament, and such particulars will be given as, I think, will sufficiently explain the circumstances.