§ MR. GUEST (Plymouth)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can see his way to extend the principle of commercial missions which has been adopted in the case of Persia and South Africa by sending similar missions to Germany and the United States, with the special object of furnishing expert reports on new or improved methods of manufacture and machinery adopted in those countries.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralI will communicate this suggestion to the Board of Trade Advisory Committee on Commercial Intelligence which deals with commercial missions. The hon. Member will, however, understand that an inquiry such as he proposes into improved methods of manufacture in highly developed commercial countries is a very difficult matter, requiring special expert knowledge with regard to each industry investigated.