§ MR. YOXALL (Nottingham, W.)To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he can state what new arrangements are being made, or are to be made, for editing, issuing, and circulating Consular Reports on the condition of trade abroad.
§ (Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) It has been arranged that the Board of Trade shall co-operate with the Foreign Office from the beginning of next year in the editing of the Annual Consular Reports. Every effort will be made to expedite their issue as far as possible. I may add that Consular Officers have been instructed by the Foreign Office to report at once (using the telegraph where necessary) any matters of immediate commercial importance which may come to their knowledge, and information received in pursuance of this instruction will either be communicated direct to those whose interests are concerned or utilised in the weekly Board of Trade Journal.