§ 4. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that newspapers in the English language published in Egypt are still being rigidly censored, and are frequently refused permission to publish articles which have appeared in well-known British journals; that all news from Ireland is systematically censored or mutilated; whether he can state the total number of persons employed in Egypt in censoring the Press; and whether their salaries and expenses are paid by the British taxpayer or from Egyptian revenues?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYThe Egyptian Government still find it necessary to maintain a mild censorship on newspapers in Egypt irrespective of the language in which they are published. The censorship is designed to prevent the publication of matter liable to excite religious or racial animosity or the dissemination of false or alarmist reports calculated to disturb public tranquillity. I have no information as to the numbers of persons whom the Egyptian Government employ for censorship purposes, but no expenditure under this head falls upon British funds.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYMay I ask how the censoring of Irish news can have any effect on religious or racial feeling in Egypt?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYThe reactions of Irish news are very marked both inside this House and out of it.