§ Mr. ASQUITH(by Private Notice) asked the Prime Minister whether an agreement was reached at the Boulogne Conference, or otherwise, between the Prime Minister and M. Poincaré as to the agenda of the Genoa Conference; if so, whether, and to what extent, this agreement limits the subjects to be discussed at that Conference?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAmong the subjects discussed at Boulogne by M. Poincaré and the Prime Minister was the Genoa Conference, and the two Prime Ministers exchanged ideas upon the scope 1524 and conduct of the Conference. As I stated yesterday, I cannot deal adequately with this matter within the limits of an answer at Question time, and I hope that my right hon. Friend will consent to await the Prime Minister's speech on Monday, in which he proposes to deal fully with this point among others. I have drawn his particular attention to my right hon. Friends inquiry.
§ Mr. ASQUITHI beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he does not think, as Leader of the House, that it is disrespectful to the House of Commons when the Government themselves have invited a Debate, that on matters so vital to the due consideration in that Debate as an agreement reached or alleged to have been reached between the Prime Ministers of Great Britain and France, we should be dependent until the Debate is initiated by the Prime Minister on second-hand sources of information, and should not be told what we ought to be told, i.e., what was actually arrived at?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI hope that neither my right hon. Friend nor the House will think I would be guilty of any discourtesy, but my right hon. Friend has himself illustrated the difficulty of dealing with this matter by questions and answers. His question has become a speech, and his speech a denunciation. It is not for want of respect to the House, but out of regard to the public interest, that I must, speaking with the responsibility of a Minister, ask the House to allow us to defer our explanations on this matter until the Debate, in which they can be given fully and fairly.
§ Mr. LYLE-SAMUELIs it not the fact that the reason the right hon. Gentleman cannot answer the question is that he does not know the answer?
§ Lieut.-Colonel ARCHER-SHEEMay I ask if, in view of the fact that the House is to know nothing about this matter until Monday, the right hon. Gentleman will not reconsider his decision not to give more than one day for the Debate?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI cannot, in the state of public business, allot more than one day to it. It is unusual for the House to seek to anticipate a Debate for which a day is allotted by a series of questions on the very subject of the Debate.
§ Mr. N. MACLEANAs the right hon. Gentleman is not prepared to give a full day for the discussion of this important question, will he be prepared to move the suspension of the Eleven o'Clock Rule on this subject, which is more vitally important than many other questions for the purposes of which he has made such a Motion.
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI am prepared to give a full day, and if it be desired by any of the parties in the House that the Eleven o'Clock Rule should be suspended, I shall be willing—[HON. MEMBERS: "No, no!"]
§ Colonel GRETTONWould the right hon. Gentleman consider laying Papers which may be available to Members on Monday morning, so that, at any rate, we may have a little time to consider the points that will be raised?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe Papers which the Government think necessary for the discussion are already laid.
§ Lord R. CECILIf there was an agreement reached at Boulogne—I do not know whether there was—does not the right hon. Gentleman really think that we ought to have in our possession the text of that agreement?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINMy Noble Friend is trying to persuade me to do what I have already said that, speaking with the responsibility of a Minister, I do not think it is in the public interest that I should do. I must respectfully decline to answer my Noble Friend's question.
§ 25. Captain Viscount CURZONasked the Prime Minister whether he can now state exactly how the staff of the British Empire Delegation at Genoa will be composed; and whether he can give any estimate of the cost involved?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINFigures for the staffs of the Government Departments concerned were, given in my answer to the question put yesterday by my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Ormsby-Gore).
§ The following are the figures for the Delegations from the Dominions:
- Australia.—One Delegate, Staff of four persons.
- Canada.—Two Delegates, Staff of four persons.
- South Africa.—One Delegate, two Advisers, Staff of three persons.
- New Zealand.—Will be represented by the Imperial Government until their own Delegate arrives, and, I believe, will rely on His Majesty's Government for anything further that is required.
§ Viscount CURZONIs not the staff which was announced yesterday about twice the amount which was considered to be necessary for Washington? Does not the Foreign Office staff amount to 20, whereas there were only seven for Washington, and why do they really require such a large staff at Genoa?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINBecause the circumstances of the two Conferences are wholly different. I ought, perhaps, in giving the figures yesterday, to have broken them up into what I may call the executive and advisory staff and the ancillary staff. We are allowing three to five Ministers—three principal Ministers—24 experts, and a secretarial staff of 15 people. Then there are 51 others, who include translators, cipherers, clerks, official reporters, typists, messengers and so forth. At Washington the scope of the Conference was far less, the Conference was hold in English, and the British Delegation had the services of the ordinary staff of the British Embassy in Washington to supplement the special staff which they took with them.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERCannot we supplement this staff also by help from our Embassy in Rome, instead of sending out all these people?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI doubt very much whether we could get any material help from our Embassy in Rome at the Conference in Genoa, but we have no desire to spend more on the staff than is necessary. At these Conferences the British Delegations have, I think by general consent, been well equipped 1527 hitherto, and I should be sorry to see them undertake this difficult work without proper assistance.
§ Mr. DEVLINWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether the "cabin boy" will be included in the staff?
§ Mr. LYLE-SAMUELWhat is meant by the word "experts"? Could we have the names of these experts, and in what they are expert?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, I do not think it is necessary that I should give the House the name of every civil servant who is called upon by his Minister to go to Genoa to give such assistance as may be required.
§ 26. Mr. RAPERasked the Prime Minister whether the League of Nations have been invited to take part in the forthcoming Conference at Genoa?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir. The Council of the League have, however, authorised the Secretary-General of the League to place at the disposal of the Genoa Conference such technical information desired by the Conference as the League may be in a position to supply, and the desirability of maintaining a close co-ordination between the decisions of the Conference and the functions of the League, when these are found to come in contact, will be borne in mind.
§ Mr. RAPERIs it not absolutely illogical to set up this costly and efficient organisation if it is not to be utilised when a special occasion of this sort arises?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI think not. It is a little difficult to deal with these matters within the limits of an answer, but there were reasons why it appeared to the Supreme Council at Cannes that a special Conference would be more likely to lead to good results in this case than a meeting called under the auspices of the League of Nations.
§ Mr. RAPERIs it not a fact that the reason previously given by the Prime Minister why it was undesirable to call a meeting under the auspices of the League of Nations does not now exist? Was not the reason given that the United States of America and the Soviet Government—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is making a speech.
§ 35. Viscount CURZONasked the Prime Minister whether the Government intend to commit the British Empire to any decision at Genoa without Parliament having the opportunity of signifying its assent or otherwise?