§ MR. REGINALD LUCAS (Portsmouth)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can announce any intention on the part of His Majesty's Government of encouraging British railway enterprise in South West 422 Persia so as to ensure that the development of those regions may not be carried out by foreign capital and energy to the detriment of British trade and interests.
§ LORD CRANBORNEMy hon. friend is aware of the answer which I made in this House on March 25th of last year†;a fuller statement was made by Lord Lansdowne in another place last week on the same subject‡. For the moment there is no question of the development of railway enterprise in Persia.
§ LORD CRANBORNEThe more important answer was delivered by the Secretary of State himself in the House of Lords last week, and I happen to know that my hon. friend was a very attentive listener.