§ Mr. HAMERSLEYasked who appointed the members of the secretarial staff; were the governments of the Dominions beyond the seas consulted as to the appointments to the staff before they were made; what are the duties of the said staff, and by whom directed; what residence, if any, had the members of the secretarial staff in the Dominions beyond the sea before they 223 were appointed; and have they visited, if so, for how long, any of the Dominions since their appointment?
Mr. HARCOURTThe members of the secretarial staff have been appointed by Lord Elgin as Secretary of State on his own responsibility; their duty is in accordance with the terms of the first resolution of the Conference of 1907, that of obtaining information for the use of the Conference, of attending to its resolutions, and of conducting correspondence on matters relating to its affairs, under the direction of the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The secretary to the Conference accompanied the right hon. Gentleman the Member for West Birmingham on his tour to South Africa in 1902–3, and visited Canada last year, spending two months in the Dominion. The two other members of the staff have not yet had the opportunity of visiting the Dominions.