§ Mr. DOUGLAS HALLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether the late Boutros Pasha, Prime Minister of Egypt, before his assassination expressed his approval of the proposal to extend the Suez Canal concession, and objected to that question being submitted to the General Assembly because of the revolutionary sympathies of that body; whether he was aware that El Wardani, who was awaiting trial for the murder of Boutros Pasha, gave as an excuse for his act the approval which Boutros Pasha had given to the proposal of the Suez Canal Company; and whether these facts were known to the Agent-General, and to the Foreign Office, when the British Government consented to the question of the extension of the Suez Canal concession being decided by the vote of the General Assembly?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI am not aware of the views of the late Boutros Pasha on this question, nor do I consider it desirable to discuss the circumstances of his assassination pending the conclusion of the trial of Wardani. If the hon. Member will refer to the reply given to a question by Dr. Rutherford in the House of Commons on 4th November last he will see that the decision to submit the question to the General Assembly had been taken several months ago.
§ Mr. LAWSONWhat course do the British Government propose to take in respect of the concessions?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat hardly arises out of the question.