§ MR. SUTHERLANDasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Her Majesty's Government are aware that the International Sanitary Council of Egypt has, within the last few days, published an edict to the effect that all vessels bound through the Suez Canal from India (or from other so called "infected" countries) are to be required, before being allowed to enter the Canal, even though they may have no intention of communicating with Egypt, to undergo an elaborate process of disinfection by pumping sulphate of iron, or other acid, through the bilges of the ship, a process which would, in every case, lead to most serious delay, and also be highly detrimental to the structures of iron vessels and to cargoes, especially those of a valuable character, such, for example, as tea; if so, whether Her Majesty's Government will take the necessary steps to prevent the Government of Egypt interfering with the passage of British ships through the Suez Canal?
THE UNDER SECRETARYI am obliged to the hon. Member for giving some days' Notice of this Question, which has enabled us to telegraph to Egypt on the subject; and it appears that a regulation of the tenour mentioned has been recently issued by the Egyptian Quarantine Board. But it does not appear certain, from the information in the possession of Her Majesty's Government, that vessels having no intention 114 of communicating with Egypt fall under the new Order, though it does, apparently, include all vessels coming to Egypt from infected ports. Under these circumstances, a full Report has been called for as to the regulation in question. I may mention that the same regulation has for some time been in force for vessels having had cases of cholera (or suspected cases) on board during the voyage. I can assure the hon. Member that this country has never admitted that such restrictions on passage through the Canal of British vessels bound to British ports are legitimate; and if the hon. Member will be kind enough to put a further Question on a future day, I hope I shall be able to report a less unsatisfactory state of things.