§ 47. Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the Prime Minister whether, with a view to securing a more general expression of opinion on matters coming before the next Imperial Conference, he will consider extending invitations to the leaders of the Opposition party in each of the Dominions?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe suggestion that Imperial Conferences should not be confined to representatives of parties in office for the time being is one which has been made from time to time in the past, and I myself in 1924 put it forward tentatively to the Prime Ministers of the Dominions in an official communication. It will be seen from the correspondence which took place on that occasion, and which was published in Command Paper No. 2301 of 1925, that the suggestion did not meet with support, and I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by its being made again at the present time.
§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEI put down this question to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and I want to thank the Prime Minister for having had it transferred to his list.