HC Deb 09 July 1903 vol 125 cc162-3
MR. GIBSON BOWLES

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury a Question of which I have given him private notice—viz., are His Majesty's Government aware that a Conference of the representatives of the sugar industries of Russia, Austria - Hungary, France, Belgium, and Holland, meeting at Brussels on 8th July, adopted resolutions, and made a Convention, limiting the export of sugar to Great Britain to the average amount exported in late years, and assigning an allotted portion thereof to each of the countries named, and that this was done with the avowed purpose of maintaining the price of sugar in Europe, and raising it in the British market; have His Majesty's Government considered the effect of this Cartel arrangement upon the system to be introduced by the Brussels Sugar Convention, and especially on "the equalisation of the conditions of competition between beet and cane sugar from various countries, and the promotion of the consumption of sugar," which that Convention declares to be its purpose; and what steps do they propose to take in order to deal with the new situation thus created.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

We have no information on this subject. No doubt we shall receive it shortly. Of course, I can promise that we shall receive information of what the Brussels Conference has done, but I cannot say that we shall have official information as to what I understand is a secret arrangement between business houses.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES

Will the right hon. Gentleman inquire of our representatives at Brussels as to this arrangement, and whether it is entered into by various countries, some of whom are not signatories to the Brussels Convention? I understand it is not secret.

MR. LOUGH

If the right hon. Gentleman should find that this very serious and secret arrangement has been entered into, what effect will it have on the proceedings of the Government with regard to the Brussels Sugar Convention Bill?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I altogether object to hypothetical Questions of the kind the hon. Gentleman has asked; but I may say that, while I am anxious to obtain information, I cannot say that any information we are likely to obtain will alter the policy of His Majesty's Government on this subject.