HC Deb 22 June 1899 vol 73 c267
MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps have been taken, or are about to be taken, by Her Majesty's Government to secure the safe conduct of British Indian subjects between Jeddah and the cities of Mecca and Medina, whilst on the customary pilgrimage to the Mohammedan shrines; and whether compensation has been demanded, or will be demanded, by the British Government from the Porte for outrages committed upon British subjects in Arabia in the years 1895, 1896, 1897, and 1898, whilst performing religious duties in the Hedjaz.

* THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, Guildford

Her Majesty's Government have taken and will continue to take all steps in their power to insure the protection of the British Indian pilgrims. As regards paragraph 2, demands have been made for compensation for robberies committed between 1892 and 1898, and some progress appears to have been made towards an arrangement.