§ MR. PIKE PEASE (Darlington)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether an official circular has recently been issued to British subjects residing in Turkey informing them that, in the event of their capture by brigands, under no circumstances will His Majesty's Government advance any funds whatever for their release; whether any similar circular has been issued by other Governments to their subjects; and is he aware that this circular will have the effect of preventing the employment of engineers, foremen, and others of 1753 British nationality in the provinces of Turkey.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe Answer to the first part of the hon. Member's Question is that the attention of British subjects residing in Turkey has been drawn to a circular issued by the late Lord Granville in 1881 in the sense stated by the hon. Member. With regard to the second part, I have no information as to what action, if any, may have been taken by other Governments. I have no reason to suppose that the circular had any prejudicial effect before or that its repetition now will have the effect mentioned by the hon Member in the third part of his Question.