§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state what, meetings of the Permanent Commission or the Permanent Bureau, set up under the Brussels Convention, have taken place since July, 1903; when will the next meeting take place; whether any regular periods for meetings in the future have been arranged; whether any report on questions submitted to these Commissions has been received; and. if so, whether it can now be laid before Parliament.
§ EARL PERCYA meeting of the Permanent Commission took place in October last. The next meeting will take place in March. No regular periods for meetings in the future have been arranged. A report of the proceedings at the last meeting has been received, but its presentation has been deferred in view of the fact that the discussion of the questions raised at that meeting will be resumed next month.
§ MR. LOUGHI beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether any change has been made in 731 the representation of the United Kingdom on the Permanent Commission and the Permanent Bureau set up under the Brussels Sugar Convention; how many delegates or assistant delegates are sent by this country; what is the total number of delegates and countries represented on each body; who are the present British representatives; and what amount will appear in the Estimates of this year to provide for their cost?
§ EARL PERCYThere has been no change in the British representation on the Permanent Commission. The Permanent Bureau is an office for the discharge of the clerical business of the Commission. The United Kingdom is represented by one delegate and four assistant delegates, one of whom was appointed on behalf of the Colonial Office and another on behalf of the India Office. Eight countries are represented, each country having one delegate and from one to four assistant delegates. The British representatives are, Sir Henry Bergne, Delegate, and Mr. Martineau, Mr. Pearson, Mr. Ozanne, and Mr. Pittar, Assistant Delegates. The provision for their cost will appear in the Estimates under the heading of Special Missions.