§ Mr. GOLDMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether reports have been received from His Majesty's Trade Commissioners in the various dominions on the trades of the countries they represent; and what is the reason for the delay in their publication?
Mr. BUXTONA large number of reports are continually received from His Majesty's Trade Commissioners, the substance of which is either published in the Board of Trade Journal or otherwise brought to the knowledge of traders interested in this country. I am not aware of any delay in dealing with these reports in the most appropriate manner, and the Board of Trade act in this matter on the advice of their Commercial Intelligence Committee, which represents the best commercial opinion in the country. In addition to the reports referred to above (the furnishing of which forms the most important and urgent part of the Commissioners' duties from the point of view of British traders), it is proposed in future to issue general annual reports by the Commissioners on the trade of the Dominions.
§ Mr. GOLDMANasked the President of the Board of Trade, whether there is any Trade Commissioner in the West Indian Islands, or any representative in those dominions whose duty it is to report upon the course of British trade in that part of the Empire; and, if so, will he call for a report as to the effect of the proposed arrangement between Canada and United States upon West Indian interests?