§ 5. Mr. LOOKERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will defer concluding an ageement for handing over the municipal administration of the British concession at Tientsin to a mixed Chinese and British administration until greater certainty exists than is the case at present that such a course will not be attended by similar results to those which have been experienced at Hankow, or, in the alternative, if he will reserve the right to re-establish. British control of the municipality if the experiment proves a failure?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI regret that I cannot give my hon. Friend a definite answer. The conditions of the problem do not admit of a decisive answer on matters which must be to some extent at least dependent on the uncertain course of events.
§ 6. Mr. LOOKERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the number of British subjects in the British concession at Tientsin; the number of British firms engaged in business there; the total amount of municipal debentures which has been issued; and the average value of British exports and imports for 10 years prior to 1895?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI have no accurate information as regards the first, second and fourth parts of my hon. Friend's question. As regards the third part, the total amount of debentures outstanding on the 31st December, 1926, was taels 2,571,040. I will write to His Majesty's Minister at Peking for further information if the hon. Member desires it.