§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether information from the Consul General at Cairo has reached the Foreign Office to the effect that the total which will be required on July 15th to pay the coupons and drawings of the Egyptian Unified Debt (viz. £1,800,000 for coupons and £300,000 for drawings) will not be forthcoming; whether it is true that the amount now ready is only £600,000, with an expectation of obtaining about half a million more by the 1640 sale of cereals (if this can be effected); and, if he will lay upon the Table any information which has been received from the Consul General relative to these payments?
§ MR. BOURKEI must remind my noble Friend that the British Government are not responsible for Egyptian finance. If I were to make any statement in answer to the Question of my noble Friend it might, on the one hand, have the effect of unduly benefiting Egyptian finance; while, on the other hand, it might have the effect of unduly damaging that finance. Under these circumstances, I think my noble Friend will see that the course which is most consistent with the relations which exist between Her Majesty's Government and Egyptian finance is for me, upon this occasion, to refrain from answering the Question put by my noble Friend; nor is it the intention of Her Majesty's Government, as at present advised, to lay any Papers upon the Table of the House with reference to this subject.
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUPerhaps the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will tell me whether it is one of the duties of the Consul General to keep Her Majesty's Government informed upon this point?
§ MR. BOURKEIt is one of the duties of all Consuls and Consuls General to keep Her Majesty's Government informed upon all subjects relating to the finance, politics, and commercial affairs of the countries in which they reside.