§ Mr. CASSELasked the Prime Minister whether the ratification of the Declaration of London will be delayed until the House of Lords have had the opportunity of accepting or rejecting the Naval Prize Bill, without which the Convention establishing the International Court cannot be carried into effect?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIt would obviously be convenient, if possible, to defer the ratification of the Declaration until the Naval Prize Bill has received the Royal Assent. I see no ground for doubting that that event will occur within a reasonable time. In these circumstances the Declaration will not be formally ratified until the other House has had an opportunity of considering the Naval Prize Bill. But beyond that I cannot go.