§ 40. Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the draft treaty of mutual assistance submitted for the consideration of Governments by the last assembly of the League of Nations involves political and diplomatic questions such as treaties of mutual guarantee, both general and particular, he will give an undertaking that the Committee of Imperial Defence, to which the Clauses of the draft treaty have been referred by 1906 him, will be specially reinforced by representatives of the civil departments concerned, the Dominion High Commissioners, and other persons, unofficial as well as official, having expert knowledge of the various questions involved; whether the Committee will take evidence, and, if so, only secret evidence; and whether he has received and will consider the representations on this matter sent to him by the Executive Committee of the League of Nations Union?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIn accordance with the normal procedure of the Committee of Imperial Defence, representatives of all departments concerned, whether civil or military, will be invited to the meetings at which the Treaty of Mutual Guarantee may be discussed. As regards consultation with Dominions, I would refer the hon. Member to my answer on 12th February. I am not yet in a position to state whether the Committee will require to supplement the considerable volume of material which has already been accumulated on this subject by taking further official or unofficial evidence. The answer to the last part of the question is in the affirmative. I wish it to be clearly understood, however, that His Majesty's Government cannot consider this proposal in a final way until the general European situation is more clearly defined.