§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the exceedingly small cost to the State of the maintenance of the British Vice-Consulate at Bruges, and having regard to the large amount of British shipping making use of this port and that of Zeebrugge, His Majesty's Government is prepared to consider the re-establishment of this post; and whether the net cost of this establishment for the year 1921, including the takings in fees and charges, was only £70?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEAs regards the first part of this question I have2150W nothing to add to the reply given on the 9th inst. to the hon. Member for the English Universities (Sir M. Conway). The net cost of the post in 1921 was approximately £70, but that sum will not represent the net saving to His Majesty's Government by the closing of the post, as a considerable portion of the fees previously collected at Bruges will now be diverted to other posts in Belgium.