§ SIR BRAMPTON GURDON (Norfolk N.)To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will inform the House as to the progress of arrangements for convening another international conference respecting the liquor traffic in Africa, in sequence to the conference held at Brussels in 1899, which fixed the minimum duty on spirituous liquors imported into the central portions of Africa for a period terminating on July 8th, 1906; and whether His Majesty's Government now intend to renew the proposals for a much higher scale of duty which were urged by them 523 at the conference referred to and also at the Brussels conference of 1889.
(Answered by Secretary Sir Edward Grey.) The Belgian Government have issued invitations for another international conference respecting the liquor traffic in Africa, and it is hoped that it may assemble in the course of the autumn. It would not be possible at the present stage to state the precise proposals which His Majesty's Government may make or support in the negotiations, but the object which they will keep in view will be the same as on previous occasions.