§ MR. RADCLIFFE COOKE (Newington, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the Petitions of British shipowners representing about 5,000,000 tons of shipping, and forming a very large proportion of the shipping using the Suez Canal, in which the shipowners strongly protest against the Provisional Regulations and the proposed authorisation of the passage of tank steamers laden with petroleum on the Canal by reason of its climatic and other exceptional conditions, and in view of the fact that the shipowners' protests have been sustained to the fullest in the Report of the eminent petroleum authorities, Sir Frederick Abel and Mr. Boverton Redwood, he will instruct the Government Directors on the Board of the Suez Canal to urge as Directors upon the Suez Canal Company, that the whole question shall be re-considered with the technical assistance of Sir Frederick Abel and Mr. Boverton Redwood, with the object of securing the protection of navigation in the Suez Canal under Rules so framed that the flags of all nations shall receive equal treatment?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERThe Report of Sir Frederick Abel and Mr. Boverton Redwood has been placed before the Board of Directors of the Suez Canal Company, and it does not appear to be necessary to address further instructions to the British Directors on the subject.
§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Limerick, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secre- 1288 tary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the police rights of Egypt in regard to bulk petroleum in or on the waters of the Suez Canal, or in the ports situate in or along and adjacent to the Suez Canal, are limited to the sale of petroleum?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERThe nature and extent of the police rights or Egypt is a subject over which Her Majesty's Government has no control, and on which it is unable to express any opinion.
§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Limerick, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the position established by Her Majesty's Government that the Suez Canal Company cannot make Regulations or bye-laws in excess of the powers given under its concession, and the further fact established by Her Majesty's Government that the Egyptian Government is free to enact, under its police rights, regulations in relation to petroleum, will he inform the House what course is left to shipowners in the event of a conflict between the Regulations of the Suez Canal Company and the Police Laws of Egypt in the matter of bulk petroleum in or on the waters of the Suez Canal, or in the ports of Egypt situate in, along, and adjacent to the Canal?
MR. J. W. LOWTHERThe question is a purely hypothetical one, and, in any event, it is not one for Her Majesty's Government to determine.
MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, seeing, as stated by him, that the Provisional Regulations of the Suez Canal Company claim for the first time to make compulsory what has hitherto been optional, Her Majesty's Government will advise the Suez Canal Company to withhold the Provisional Regulations, pending the decision of the Egyptian Courts as to the matter of the legality or illegality of the Provisional Regulations now submitted for the decision of the International Courts of Egypt?
MR. J. W. LOWTHEROn Tuesday last I replied to an almost identical question put to me by the hon. Member 1289 for North Mayo (Mr. Crilly), and I have nothing to add to the answer which I then gave.