§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether British teachers in Egyptian Government schools and other British officials attached to the Ministry of Public Instruction are required to show any proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing current Egyptian Arabic prior to their appointment; and, if such be the case, how many candidates have so qualified during each of the five years last past; if they be not required so to qualify until after their appointment, what is the period of probation allowed by the regulations, if any; when were such regulations introduced; have they a retroactive effect; how many have passed the tests annually during the last five years; are those who fail allowed to present themselves again and what number of times, and at what intervals; and how many such failures have taken place.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe Question of the hon. Member contains seven different questions, some of them of minute detail. I will make a general inquiry as to what knowledge of Arabic is required of the British officials referred to as a condition of their employment, and how this is fulfilled.