§ Captain GARRO-JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can briefly explain the stage to which the deliberations of the Preparatory Commission on Disarmament have now progressed; and whether he is able to give any indication of an approximate date on which the Conference proper may meet?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINIn December, 1925, the Council of the League of Nations appointed the so-called "Preparatory Committee" to prepare the ground for a general Conference on the reduction and limitation of armaments to be held as soon as possible. The Preparatory Committee held its first meeting in May last and referred certain technical questions to two sub-committees, the one to deal with naval, military and aerial and the other with economic subjects. The first sub-committee has produced a voluminous report which has recently been published; the second has produced a first report which has also been published. Copies of both these reports have been placed in the Library of the House. They are now under the consideration of the various Governments. The economic sub-committee will, I understand, submit a further report to the Preparatory Committee which is to meet again on the 21st March. These two sub-committees were instructed to consider the technical aspect only of the questions referred to them, the Prepara- 399W tory Committee itself being alone responsible for any final proposals that may be laid before the Council.
At its forthcoming meeting the Preparatory Committee will consider these various reports, draw up the agenda of the Conference itself and report to the Council on the possibility of fixing a date for the meeting of the Conference.
Until the Preparatory Committee has met again and reported to the Council, I am unable to give any indication as to the date on which the Conference proper may meet.