§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, as the Government has abandoned its proposal of a Vote for the maintenance of a Military pioneer regiment in Cyprus, and has proposed a Vote for a body of civil police in the same Island which is estimated to cost £26,000 a-year, he will lay upon the Table of the House, before the Vote is taken, any Report showing the necessity for such a large expenditure for police in the island, and also any Report and Financial Statement showing the inability of Cyprus to bear the burden of its civil expenditure?
§ MR. BOURKENo Reports of the nature alluded to by the hon. Gentleman are in the possession of Her Majesty's Government. It will be my duty, in a few days, to move the Vote alluded to by the hon. Gentleman, and I shall take that opportunity of making a short statement to the House upon the subject. If, after hearing that statement, we are not fortunate enough to obtain the support of the hon. Gentleman, I feel, nevertheless, quite sure that the arrangement proposed is an economical one, and that it will be assented to by the House of Commons.
§ MR. DODSONasked, If the Under Secretary of State could now state when the Government would be prepared to lay on the Table an account of the Revenue and Expenditure of Cyprus?
§ MR. BOURKEsaid, he did not think he would be quite justified in answering that Question without Notice. He was 1412 aware that the subject had been mentioned before, and, therefore, the subject was not being lost sight of. Some of the accounts, however, had not yet come home, and therefore he had to ask the right hon. Gentleman to repeat the Question on some future day.