§ MR. NORMANI beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps, if any, he proposes to take to render reports of British consuls of greater value to the mercantile community; whether he will instruct consuls to forward important commercial information whenever they may obtain it, without waiting for their annual reports; and whether he will, as is done in the United States, cause a daily issue of urgent commercial information received from consular officers.
§ MR. RUNCIMANWith regard to the hon. Member's first Question, steps have already been taken within recent years with this object, and the new edition of the General Consular Instructions now in preparation contains revised and explicit directions on the subject. With regard to the second Question, regulations to this effect are already in force. With regard to the third Question the weekly Board of Trade Journal includes a large amount of commercial information, based on reports specially supplied by British consuls. Where even more immediate publication is desirable, in the interests of British trade, the Board of Trade make a practice of sending notices to the Press. The question of the best means of diffusing the commercial information is now under consideration of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee on Commercial Intelligence.
§ MR. NORMANWhen will the instructions be issued?
§ [No Answer was returned.]