§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether he has any objection to communicate the figures contained in the very important statement which he made yesterday to the House with regard to the health of the British troops at Cyprus? He (Sir Charles W. Dilke) observed that those figures did not appear in any of the Reports in the morning papers to-day; but he understood that the right hon. Gentleman had said that from 180 to 190 were on the sick list, of whom 56 were attacked with fever and ague. He should also be glad to know, Whether there would be any objection on the part of the right hon. Gentleman to communicate to the Press from time to time as they arrived any statements in detail as to the health of the troops?
§ COLONEL STANLEY, in reply, said, he wished the hon. Baronet had given him Notice of the Question. He endeavoured, as far as possible, yesterday, to 2024 give the House the fullest information in his possession in regard to the health of the troops at Cyprus, and, in so doing, he was obliged to read from Papers which had only been put into his hands after he came into the House. He gave the figures as correctly as he could; but a subsequent perusal of them led him to think that they required to be corrected by comparison; and, therefore, to prevent misconception, he thought it best to communicate with the authorities of the Press, and to request that until these figures could be verified, they should be left out. He had not referred the previous day to any private document. He found, however, that the answer he gave yesterday was substantially correct; that although there had been numerous outbreaks of fever of a mild character, there had been nothing severe, and, as a matter of fact, only three deaths had occurred since the troops landed out of a force of 7,000 men. He would be happy, as far as he could, to make public such information on that subject as reached the War Office from time to time.