§ Major GLYNasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether every facility will be given, in co-operation with the Board of Trade, for a representative financial and commercial Mission to visit Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Roumania in the near future with a view to the re-establishment of British trade in the Balkans and to counteract the commercial activities of other countries who are determined to capture the trade and financial interests previously held by German and Austrian subjects and companies?
Mr. HARMSWORTHA Joint Mission on behalf of the Department of Oversea Trade and the Commission Internationale de Ravitaillement is now investigating conditions in Serbia. It contains representatives of business interests and is excellently staffed on the technical side. A Commissioner has just concluded a three months' tour in Bulgaria on behalf of the Department of Oversea Trade. Every 43W effort is being made by this Department to assist in the establishment of British trade in the Bulgarian market.
A Commercial Secretary is leaving immediately for Roumania. The proposal to send out a Mission to this country was given consideration, but it was decided that the sending out of a Commercial Secretary with a knowledge of the country would meet the requirements of the case. A Commercial Secretary has been appointed for Greece and Serbia, and will shortly assume his duties, which will largely consist in re-establishing British trade in these countries and assisting British interests to capture the trade and financal interests previously held by German and Austrian subjects and companies.