§ MR. LOWLESOn behalf of the honourable Member for the Central Division of Sheffield I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, in the reorganisation of the work of the Foreign Office, upon the appointment of Sir Martin Gosselin as additional Under Secretary of State, Lord Salisbury can see his way to so strengthening the Commercial Department as to hasten its procedure, to give it control without any avoidable circumlocution of the proceedings with regard to trade of Her Majesty's diplomatic and consular officers and commercial attachâs, and put it at least on a par with the up to date commercial departments both as to information and direct assistance to national trade of the Ministries for Foreign Affairs in Paris, Berlin, and St. Petersburg?
MR. CURZONI do not know that the Commercial Department at the Foreign Office compares unfavourably with similar departments of foreign Governments, and I can assure my honourable and gallant Friend that during the three years in which I have been personally responsible for that Department here, I have spared 286 no effort to hasten its procedure, and to meet the various criticisms which we court, and which we also receive. I do not think that the appointment of an additional Under Secretary will greatly affect the business of that Department. But perhaps the institution of a Commercial Intelligence Office, as recommended by the Departmental Committee which has just reported, may, if decided upon, promote some of the objects which my honourable Friend has in view.