§ 83. Mr. LAMBERTasked the Prime Minister whether, having regard to the responsibility of members of Governments to the country, he will publish Papers which will contain a complete synopsis of the doings of the British Government with the Greek Government from the date of the Armistice to the demise of the late Administration?
§ 86. Sir J. SIMONasked the Prime Minister whether he will lay upon the Table Papers relating to the Near East either from the date of the armistice with Turkey or from the date of ex-King Constantine's return?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI think it would be undesirable that Papers should be laid on this subject at a time when the Lausanne Conference is going on. During the Recess, however, the subject will be carefully considered.
§ Mr. LAMBERTMay we have a pledge that the Papers will be laid after the proceedings at Lausanne are completed?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI have promised that the question as to what Paper shall be laid will be carefully considered during the Recess. Perhaps my right hon. Friend will put down a question later.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the Prime Minister aware that that assur- 2367 ance means nothing to us at all and that it gives him the right to pick and choose exactly what Papers shall be laid? Are we not entitled to have the whole of them?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe hon. and gallant Member is mistaken. If I undertake to lay Papers in reply to a request later by my right hon. Friend, I shall describe correctly what Papers will be laid.
§ Sir J. SIMONWill the right hon. Gentleman be prepared to give an assurance that, if he see his way to lay Papers, he will not wait until the House meets before the preparation is made?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI will consider that question.
§ 87. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Prime Minister whether he has yet satisfied the Coalition ex-Ministers that they did indeed sec and approve of the Gounaris-Curzon correspondence?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs I promised, in answer to a supplementary question on Thursday last, I have made further inquiries. The facts arc as follow:
M. Gounaris' Note, dated the 15th February, was received in the Foreign Office on the 16th February, and was circulated to the Cabinet in print on the 24th February. Lord Curzon's reply of the 6th March was circulated to the Cabinet in print on the 9th March. Both these documents are in the files of the Cabinet Offices, and the records of the Foreign Office show that they were circulated in the usual way to the Cabinet.
Captain ARTHUR EVANSDoes not the Prime Minister consider that the assurance of the ex-Ministers is sufficient, in view of the fact that they have all stated that they did not see these documents?
§ Colonel WEDGWOODMay I ask whether this was the ordinary method of conducting Cabinet business, in spite of having a Cabinet Secretariat?
§ The PRIME MINISTERInvariably documents issued by the Foreign Office were circulated by them, and copies were sent to the Cabinet Secretariat.
Mr. LLOYD GEORGEMy right hon. Friend promised also on Thursday last to look up the Cabinet records, and to see whether the letter came before the Cabinet.
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, that question was never asked.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI think not. The question was whether it was in the Cabinet Secretariat's Office. So far as I know—and I have made inquiry—it did not come before the Cabinet. But, of course, that depends on individual Cabinet Ministers, who could bring it up if they chose.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYWas it marked "urgent" or "important" or anything of that sort?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe assumption is that every document which is considered to be of sufficient importance to be circulated is important.
§ Mr. T. P. O'CONNORIs the right hon. Gentleman prepared to give any explanation why a document, the neglect of which has sent Greece to ruin and several of her Ministers to the scaffold, was not considered by the Cabinet?