§ 1. Colonel YATEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, considering that nearly six months have elapsed since the Report by the commercial Attaché at St. Petersburg has been received, he is now in a position to state what steps will be taken to raise the status 1782 of the Consulate at St. Petersburg to that of a Consulate-General, and to increase the number of salaried officials there, as urged by the Russian section of the British Chamber of Commerce, who pointed out that whereas Germany maintained a Consul-General and eighteen salaried officials, Great Britain only maintained a Consul and two salaried officials?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. Grey)I hope that certain proposals will very shortly be made to the Treasury with regard to His Majesty's Consular Service not only in Russia but elsewhere. It would be premature to make a statement now.