§ 10. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the dependence of the service of certain British loans upon Egyptian revenues, he can say if the voting of supplies by the Egyptian Parliament is an essential preliminary to the payment of interest on these loans?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI presume that the right hon. and gallant Member refers to the Ottoman loans secured upon the Egyptian Tribute. I regret that I am unable to reply upon a point of Egyptian constitutional procedure which is exclusively within the competence of the Egyptian Government.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs it not advisable from the point of view of this country that we should know whether we can get interest paid on that loan as it used to be paid, and is it not the duty of the Government to find out whether that money can be voted without the Egyptian Parliament being called together to vote it?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThat seems to me a very argumentative question. Perhaps it had better be reserved to the Debate.
§ Sir FREDRIC WISEIs that amount deposited with the National Bank of Egypt?
§ Sir F. WISEBut the amount?
§ Colonel WEDGWOODMay I put my question in a less controversial way. Do the Government intend to make inquiries from the Egyptian Government as to whether that money can be paid without the Egyptian Parliament being called together?