§ MR. HAROLD COXI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his decision to appoint consuls to act in British Colonies was in any way due to requests made or advice tendered by the Colonial Premiers or other Colonial authorities; whether the gentlemen who have been, or are about to be, appointed to these appointments were selected in consultation with Colonial authorities; whether it is anticipated that the services of these gentlemen will be of value to the Colonies; and, if so, whether the Colonies have offered to pay the whole or any part of the salaries of the gentlemen so selected.
I beg also to ask the President of the Board of Trade in how many cases within recent years has the Government of a Colony offered to defray or share the cost of maintaining a consulate in cases where that particular Colony had special interests; in how many cases has such offer been accepted; and what proportion in each case has the contribution paid by the Colony borne to the total expense of the consulate.
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. RUNCIMAN, Dewsbury) (for Sir EDWARD GREY)There are eight. consular posts at which part of the expenditure is borne by Colonial Governments. At each of these the Colony pays the actual expenditure. In four cases the Imperial Government makes fixed contributions towards the total costs; in three an allowance is 321 provided for such expenses as are involved by the performance of purely consular duties; in the remaining cases all expenses are borne by the Colony. It is not known what the total cost of any of these consulates may amount to. They are posts where only questions of local interest are likely to arise. Otherwise the Imperial Government would have to retain sole control, and consequently defray the whole cost of maintenance. One case has occurred where the other to share the cost was on this account not accepted.