§ MR. BROTHERTON (Wakefield)To ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Ministers can say if they have been able to come to an understanding with the authorities of Corfu, whereby the old British cemetery at Corfu can remain undisturbed.
(Answered by Lord Cranborne.) His Majesty's Government have made this matter the subject of the most careful inquiry, and have received separate reports from two officials who have visited the island. The result has been to convince them that the most desirable course, and that most in accordance with the wishes of the British community, is to transfer the old cemetery to the local authorities on certain conditions, among which are the following:—(1) The work shall be supervised by a responsible person appointed by His Majesty's Government, who shall be afforded every facility by the Greek authorities in order to ensure the transfer of the remains and 1160 the monuments being efficiently and decently carried out; (2) That the proposed assembly rooms shall not be built on the site of the old cemetery, but on the high ground above. I may add that in the new cemetery to which the remains will be transferred it will be possible to watch over the graves much more carefully than has been the case heretofore.