§ MR. SCOTT (Ashton-under-Lyne)I beg to ask the Prime Minister if he can now state whether any one, and, if so, which, of the contracting States signatories of The Sugar Convention Additional Act, 1907, with the sole exception of Great Britain, has ratified that Act without previously obtaining the assent of its Parliament; and are His Majesty's Government advised that they have greater powers than the Governments of either Belgium, Holland, Sweden, 776 France, or Germany to agree, without Parliamentary assent, to international compacts affecting the trade of the country and its supply of sugar.
§ MR. ASQUITHI can add nothing to the answer given by me on 3rd June. It has never been the constitutional practice to submit commercial treaties to Parliament except in the conditions explained in my answer, none of which apply to the present case. I may add that the decision of His Majesty's Government in regard to the Sugar Convention was announced to this House more than twelve months ago.