§ 1. Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the monopoly granted to the Hong Kong and Shanghai group for financial transactions with China, the Government will undertake that all British merchants and manufacturers shall have an equal opportunity of 1703 tendering for all Chinese Imperial Government or provincial Government contracts, and that the said financial group will be excluded, seeing that they are a monopoly, from making any condition in regard to the commercial side of the business which must be left free to all.
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Acland)The exclusive support given by His Majesty's Government to the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank is in respect of finance only, and industrial contracts will be subject, as in the past, to open tender.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTDoes the hon. Gentleman realise that the bulk of the money loaned comes from either Great Britain or France, but the bulk of the commercial advantages pass to other countries, who appear in the first instance—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the question on the Paper.