The Colonial Conference and the Taxation of Food.

HC Deb 05 June 1905 vol 147 cc724-5

MR. SOARES (Devonshire, Barnstaple)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the Resolution of the House on the 4th April last relating to indirect taxes on food, he will, when summoning the conference of 1906, take care to inform the Colonies that the conference is held on the understanding that this country will not agree to any scheme of preferential trading involving the taxation of corn, meat, or dairy produce.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Any conference which is summoned under the auspices of the present Government will be a free conference.