§ 1. Mr. Wedgwoodasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether the settlement with Iran involves a charge upon the British taxpayer for oil, transport or subvention; whether any estimate has been formed of the amount of this charge; and whether the Iranian Government is making any contribution to Great Britain for the cost of the protection provided by the army of occupation which must otherwise fall upon British or Indian funds?
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Eden)As regards the first two parts of the Question, no final arrangement has yet been come to, but the considerations referred to by my right hon. Friend will be borne in mind. As regards the last part of the Question, the British Forces now in Persia do not constitute an army of occupation. No charge is being made upon the Persian Government for the cost of British or Soviet troops, but facilities are being provided by the Persian Government. As the British Forces do not constitute an army of occupation, what they require are facilities, not funds.
§ Mr. WedgwoodMay we in future, expect the Government to call the Government of that country the Persian Government and not the Iranian Government?
§ Mr. EdenI do not know that I wish to go into that problem now, but perhaps the right hon. Member knows that to some Persians to call their country Persia is like calling Britain Wessex.