§ 5. Mr. GARRO JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government has given effect to its obligations in regard to traffic in arms and ammunition, as set out in Article 23 (d) of the Covenant of the League of Nations?
§ Viscount CRANBORNESub-paragraph (d) of Article 23 of the Covenant should be read in conjunction with the first paragraph of the Article, by which the undertakings in the Article are made
subject to and in accordance with the provisions of international conventions existing or hereafter to be agreed upon.His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom ratified the International Con- 1738 vention for the Supervision of the International Trade in Arms and Ammunition, signed at Geneva on 17th June, 1925, with, the proviso that the ratification would not become effective until the ratifications of nine of the principal arms manufacturing countries had become effective, in accordance with Article 41 of the Convention. Only three of these countries have so far ratified.
§ 6. Mr. GARRO JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Permanent Commission set up under Article 9 of the Covenant of the League of Nations is still in existence; and, if so, who are its members and when was it last in session?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEThe answer to the first part of the question is "Yes," Sir. As regards the second part of the question, the Commission is normally composed of one military, one naval and one air representative of each State member of the Council. The Commission last met on 28th September, 1932.
§ Mr. GARRO JONESIs the Noble Lord able to say who are the present members of this Commission, as I asked in the question?
§ Viscount CRANBORNENot without notice of that question.
§ Mr. GARRO JONESWas not notice given in the most obvious manner by putting a question upon the Paper?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEI understood the hon. Member's question to be what type of member, and I said in my answer that the Commission was normally composed of one military, one naval and one air representative.
§ Mr. THURTLEWould the Foreign Office get some instruction in the meaning of plain English?
§ 7. Mr. GARRO JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British Government have taken, in the last five years, any initiative for the fulfilment of Article VIII of the Covenant of the League of Nations; and whether any such plans for reduction of armaments as are therein required to be formulated by the Council have ever in fact been before the Council for consideration?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEThe answer to the first part of the question is Yes, Sir. As regards the second part of the question, the Council made the arrangements for the preparatory work preceding the Disarmament Conference, and decided, in January, 1931, to convoke the Conference.
§ Mr. GARRO JONESHave the Government taken any initiative in the last few years in order to bring about the operation of this Article?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEYes, Sir; the Government put down on the Table at Geneva a Draft Convention in 1933.