§ Mr. BROOKESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether proper provision is being made for the appointment of commercial attaches in all foreign countries or British protected countries where British trade interests are at stake; and (2) whether his Department has been unable to sanction any of the credits requested by the Department of Overseas Trade for the appointment of Trade Commissioners; and, if so, will he state the detailed amounts?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWA Committee appointed by the Foreign Office recommended that the annual expenditure on the Commercial Attaché Service should be raised from £10,907 to £97,250, and that an initial non-recurrent expenditure of £7,100 should be incurred in addition. They observed
It may be found difficult or undesirable to fill all the poets immediately, either because suitable candidates are not forthcoming or because of temporary confusion in the political and economic condition of certain countries; but we have indicated what we believe to be the probable requirements of the near future, and the Departments concerned will, no doubt, complete the scheme gradually.In these circumstances a provision of £60,000 (to include non-recurrent expenditure) was included in the Estimates for 1918–19 (Class II., Vote 8 a, Sub-head C); and proposals by the Department of Overseas Trade for its allocation have been approved by the Treasury. The figures are in all cases exclusive of provision for enemy countries.