§ Mr. NIELDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether ho would cause an inquiry to be made and report to this House as to the constitution of Government Departments established wholly or partly on a representative basis in foreign countries and in the British Dominions beyond the seas corresponding to the Board of Trade in this country; and whether, with the view to meeting the objection that the Board of Trade is unduly bureaucratic, he will submit proposals to Parliament for substituting for nominal Members, who in practice have long ceased to be included in the councils of the Department, representative men possessed of the qualifications as to initiative, organisation, and knowledge demanded by the commercial interests in this country and to servo in an executive capacity; and whether, in view of the growth in the duties of the President of the Board of Trade in recent years, he will submit proposals to Parliament for placing each of the greater divisions of the Department under a separate Parliamentary assistant-secretary?
Mr. BUXTONInformation as to the constitution of Government Departments in foreign countries corresponding more or less closely to the Board of Trade is contained in Return C. 5674 of 1889. I am not aware that the objection to which he refers is widely entertained, and I do not think that the constitution indicated in the last part of his question could be advantageously substituted for the present system, the practical effect of which is that the President of the Board of Trade is fully responsible to Parliament for all the acts of his Department, while he has the advantage of the advice not of one, but of several consultative committees, containing members in close practical touch with commerce, shipping, and labour.