§ MR. SOARESI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can state whether the British representatives at the Colonial Conference to be held in 1906 will have power to discuss the advisability of mutual preferential trading based on the taxation of food and raw material imported into this country; and, if he cannot give this information, will he say whether his refusal is based on the ground that it would be injurious to the public service to do so. The hon. Gentleman added: In putting the Question may I remind the right hon. Gentleman of the ruling of Mr. Speaker last Tuesday?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not know to what the hon. Gentleman refers.
§ MR. SOARESI wish to remind the right hon. Gentleman of Mr. Speaker's ruling last Tuesday in regard to the answering of Questions by the Prime Minister.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not think it is the business of the hon. Gentleman to remind me of any ruling of Mr. Speaker. The House is aware that we have repeatedly said that in no circumstances shall we deal with the fiscal question in the present Parliament; but I am not prepared to lay down any 1 mitations as to what the Colonial Conference may discuss during the course of the present Parliament.
§ MR. SOARESDoes that mean that the right hon. Gentleman refuses to answer my Question?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; it means that I have answered it.