Oral Answers to Questions — China. – in the House of Commons at on 6 February 1929.
Mr Herbert Looker
, Essex South Eastern
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the annual sums due from the Chinese authorities concerned as a contribution towards the expenses of main taining the Hupeh road, in the ex-British concession at Hankow, pursuant to the agreement of the 29th June, 1926, between the Chinese authorities, the late British municipal council, and His Majesty's Consul-General at Hankow, are not being duly paid; and will he state what steps he proposes to take to get the terms of the agreement carried out?
Mr Austen Chamberlain
, Birmingham West
I have received a report on this matter. Representations to the local authorities have been made by His Majesty's Consul-General at Hankow.
Mr Herbert Looker
, Essex South Eastern
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether he is aware that the garrison commander of the Chinese troops at Hankow and other Chinese Government officials are constantly interfering with the director of the bureau established by the Chen-O'Malley agreement, and issuing orders to him which are contrary to the regulations made pursuant so such agreement, and that such interference is undermining the authority of the council of the bureau and rendering the proper and efficient administration of the district an impossible task; and what action he proposes to take in the matter:
(2) whether His Majesty's Minister at Peking has received any representations from the British members of the council established by the Chen-O'Malley agreement as to the difficulties encountered by them in impartially carrying out the terms of that agreement and their duties thereunder owing to the obstruction of Chinese Government departments; whether any and, if so, what reply has been sent to such representations; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?
Mr Austen Chamberlain
, Birmingham West
I have received reports from His Majesty's Minister at Peking regarding the difficulties arising in Special administrative District No. 3 at Hankow on account of the interference of various Chinese authorities together with the text of the representations made on the subject by the British councillors. Representations have been made to the Minister for Foreign Affairs at Nanking, who has promised to issue instructions that there must be no outside interference with the former British concession, and Sir Miles Lampson is continually pressing Dr. Wang to ensure that his instructions are effective.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
