§ MR. AUSTIN TAYLOR (Liverpool, East Toxteth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can now state the total business handled by the Crown Agents for the Colonies in the year 1903 (including loans), the total commission charged, and the separate total debited and commission charged to each colony and protectorate.
§ MR. LYTTELTONThe information for which my hon. friend asks was promised in the Answer which I gave to his Question on the 12th April. A statement giving the information is in course of preparation, but as very large masses of figures have to be dealt with, it will not be ready for a few days. Meanwhile, as it will be impossible to give so lengthy and complicated a document in the form of an oral reply to a Question. I would suggest to my hon. friend that he should move for it as a Return.
§ MR. AUSTIN TAYLORDo I understand the right hon. Gentleman is willing to give a Return for previous years?
§ MR. LYTTELTONThe labour is very great, and I am willing to give a Return for a reasonable number of years, say three or five.
§ MR. AUSTIN TAYLORLet it be a quinquennial period.