MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury is he aware that the Permanent Sugar Commission has decided that the Austro-Hungarian Contingent Law is not in accordance with the Sugar Convention, and that a scale of countervailing duties shall be applied by the Signatory Powers to sugar from the United States, and that this decision has been published in a semi-official newspaper in Brussels, as well as in the European Press generally; can he state what are the countervailing duties against sugars from the United States which, in the exercise of its powers under Article VII., the Permanent Commission has required Great Britain to impose; and do His Majesty's Government propose to impose these countervailing duties on sugars from the United States, or to prohibit altogether the importation of such sugars.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe time has arrived when the findings of the Commission should be communicated to His Majesty's Government fully, and they 813 will be received shortly. The Report is accurate so far as the Austro-Hungarian Contingent Law is concerned. The remainder of the Report appears to be unfounded.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURYes.
§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)Is there any intention to proceed with the Bill before the information is circulated?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am not at all convinced that the information desired is relevant to the Second Reading or the discussion. That we shall be anxious to give all the information we can to the House I need not say.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury is he aware that Article VII. of the Brussels Sugar Convention imposes on the Permanent Commission the duty of publishing information of all kinds respecting legislation on and statistics of sugar, as well in the contracting States as in other States; has this Commission, nevertheless, decided to keep its own proceedings and findings secret; if so, will they remain permanently secret; and, if not, when will these proceedings and findings, so far as they relate to British and colonial sugars, or require British action with reference to foreign sugars, be communicated to Parliament; and do His Majesty's Government propose only to communicate them so far as in each case the Commission may permit; is he aware that the findings of the Commission with regard to the Austro-Hungarian contingent system have been generally published in the European Press, with the votes thereon of each delegate to the Commission; and will His Majesty's Government consider the expediency of exercising through their delegate their influence with the Commission to induce it to publish its proceedings and findings in authoritative form.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe answer to the first Question from my hon. friend is in the affirmative. I can best answer 814 Questions two, three, four, and five by informing him that it is the duty of the Commission to draw up a Report upon all the questions submitted to it, and to forward that Report to the Belgian Government for communication to the States interested. As to the sixth Question, I am aware that many unauthorised statements have been made in the Press as to the findings of the Commission; as to the seventh Question, I have to say the decisions of the Commission will be furnished in due course in an authoritative form.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESWhen will the findings of the Commission be communicated to Parliament so far as they affect British and colonial sugars, or have reference to British action in relation to foreign sugar?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURAs my hon. friend will see, it is impossible to give the findings of the Commission until we receive official information of their character, which will be when the Belgian Government communicate them to us. When they communicate the findings to us I see no reason why they should not as soon as possible be laid before the House and the country.