§ 55. Lieut.-Colonel Sir E. GRIGGasked the Prime Minister whether he can give the House any information upon the attitude of the Dominion Governments towards the obligations to he undertaken under the Straits Convention annexed to the Treaty of Lausanne; whether the Treaty of Lausanne, with the Straits Convention, is to be submitted for ratification in the Dominion Parliaments; and whether, in view of the grave questions of policy raised by the Straits Convention, which are distinct in many ways from those raised by the Treaty itself, he will undertake to give the House an opportunity of discussing the Straits Convention separately before it is ratified?
§ Mr. PONSONBYHis Majesty's Government are still in communication with the Dominion Governments regarding the ratification of the various instruments signed at Lausanne which together form the peace settlement with Turkey, and which include both the Treaty of Peace and the Straits Convention. As was explained in the published summary of the proceedings of the Imperial Conference of 1923, it is for each Government to decide whether Parliamentary approval or legislation is required. The various instruments of the peace, settlement are mutually interdependent, and it would not be practicable, even if Parliamentary time were available, to give a separate day for the discussion of any single one of them.
§ Sir E. GRIGGWere the obligations under the Straits Convention discussed at the recent Imperial Conference?
§ Mr. PONSONBYI shall require notice of that question.