§ COLONEL MILWARD (Warwickshire, Stratford-upon-Avon)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government has any official information to the effect that, as reported at Vienna, the French Government is now willing to consider an international agreement to abolish export bounties on sugar. And whether the Belgian Government is still engaged in the diplomatic negotiations deputed to it by the Brussels Sugar Conference when it adjourned sine die in June, 1898.
§ MR. BRODRICKHer Majesty's. Government are informed that, in accordance with the understanding come to at the Brussels Conference, negotiations are still being carried on by the Belgian Government with the view to an agreement between the Powers concerned for the abolition of sugar bounties; but Her Majesty's Government have received no official information to the effect indicated in the first paragraph of the question.