§ MR. G. HOWELL (Bethnal Green, N.E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that trade unions, like the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, have branches in British Colonies and Possessions, and that by reason of inability to register in the Colonies they are under a disability 1038 as regards the investment of their funds, the banks refusing to accept the corporate name of the society or its trustees; and whether he will endeavour to arrange with the Colonial Office for such an Amendment of the law as will secure to these branches of a lawfully registered trade union similar rights and privileges enjoyed in this country?
§ MR. H. H. ASQUITHWhere trade unions have branches in the Colonies, such branches must, of course, conform to colonial law, whatever it may be; and in self-governing colonies the alteration of the laws rests entirely with the colonial Legislatures. I have consulted my hon. Friend the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies with regard to the particular difficulty referred to in the question, and he points out that as regards the Australian colonies the difficulty would apparently be met if the union were to arrange for the funds of the colonial branches being invested in Court trustees.