§ 3. Sir BASIL PETOasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is proposed to take steps to resume British control over the British Concession at Hankow?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to my hon. Friends the Members for East Cardiff (Sir C. Kinloch-Cooke) and South-East Essex (Mr. Looker) on the 17th and 23rd of November respectively. They hold good.
§ Sir B. PETOThen there is no change in the policy of His Majesty's Government, due to the fact that the Red Government, to whom this surrender of British rights was made, has now disappeared into the blue?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir. No change has taken place.
§ 10. Mr. LOOKERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is in a position to make any statement as to the progress of the negotiations for payment of the interest in arrear on the Hankow municipal debentures or as to whether the municipal administration of the late British Concession may now be considered to be working satisfactorily or not?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINAs regards the first part of my hon. Friend's question, 386 I have no information beyond that given to him on the 20th of February. I am not prepared to go so far as to say that the municipal administration is working as well as I could wish, but a recent telegram from His Majesty's Consul-General at Hankow says that, speaking generally, the Sino-British Council is functioning as well as can be expected in the difficult circumstances of the moment.
§ Mr. LOOKERAre the Chinese in a majority on the municipal council at the moment?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINMy hon. Friend will please give me notice of a question of that kind.