§ MR. LOUGHI beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Trade, with regard to the prohibition of the importation of Spanish sugar, if he will say what weight of sugar constitutes an appreciable quantity; and whether, seeing that this prohibition took place some two years after the condemnation of Spain by the Brussels Permanent Commission without any further action on the part of that body, the Government reserves to itself the right of suddenly excluding any sugar imports from condemned quarters, including the twenty countries dealt with by the Permanent Commission in October, 1904; and, if so, whether the trade has any safeguards against such proceedings.
§ MR. BONAR LAWI am not prepared to give a figure which will be universally applicable, the matter being one for consideration having regard to the circumstances of each case. It is the duty of His Majesty's Government, on the occurrence of an appreciable importation of sugar from a country reported by the Permanent Commission to grant a bounty, to take the measures prescribed by the Convention. The decisions of the Commission in October, 1904, to which reference is made, have been suspended or revoked on the appeal of His Majesty's Government.
§ MR. LOUGHDoes that imply that, supposing that sugar is brought in from any of these twenty countries, there is no risk of its being prohibited in the same way as the sugar imported from Spain is prohibited?
§ MR. BONAR LAWIt does imply that.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)Do His Majesty's Government or the permanent officials in Brussels settle what weight of sugar constitutes an appreciable quantity?
§ MR. BONAR LAWThat is left to His Majesty's Government.
§ MR. BONAR LAWIt is responsible in this sense, that it has done it and only done it in order to fulfil an undoubted obligation under the Brussels Convention.