§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
†See (4) Debates, clxix., 1036.1403 whether he is aware that a charge of £E11,964 has for many years past appeared in the Egyptian Budget in respect of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; whether he will state the respective items which together make up the above expenditure; whether he can state by what sums the expenditure under this head has been increased during the past five years; and whether, seeing that the Foreign Affairs of Egypt are, for all practical purposes, conducted, and controlled by the British Government, he will direct the British Agent to advise the Egyptian Government to reduce considerably the amount above-mentioned.
§ (Answered by Sir Edward Grey.) I beg to refer the hon. Member to the published Budgets of the Egyptian Government which will provide him with all the information he desires. I must demur entirely to the statement made in the last sentence of this Question. Owing to the International situation in Egypt, the Egyptian Ministry for Foreign Affairs has an exceptionally large number of questions to deal with, and whatever control is exercised by the British representative in Egypt is of a general character; it does not take the place of the daily administrative work, and the existence of a separate department of the Egyptian Government is absolutely necessary.