§ 42 Sir R. HAMILTONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the grounds on which Great Britain's claim to £750,000 under the financial agreement for communications and works in Iraq has been surrendered?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for COLONIAL AFFAIRS (Mr. Ormsby-Gore)The claim, which amounts to a less sum than that stated in the question, has been waived in accordance with the recommendation of the Financial Mission which visited Iraq in the early part of 1925. The Report of the Mission was presented to Parliament last year as Command Paper No. 2438.
Captain BENNDo the Government intend to introduce a Bill to enable this House, in accordance with the usual procedure, to agree to this discharge of a debt?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI must have notice of that question.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYAre we to understand that this large sum is going to be cancelled on the ipse dixit of the Minister, without the House being consulted at all?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORENot at all. If the hon. and gallant Member will read the report and recommendations of the Mission presided over by my right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich (Mr. H. Young)—
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYI have read them.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORE—he will see the reasons set forth there, and how this has been a matter of negotiation with the Treasury.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIt is not a question of the reasons, which no doubt are excellent, but of the authority of this House. Is this House to have no authority in the matter?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREAs I have already said to the hon. and gallant Member for Leith (Captain Benn), if the hon. and gallant Member will put down a question on the matter my right hon. Friend will no doubt be ready to answer it.
§ Sir F. WISEAre all the recommendations of the Mission being carried out?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI cannot, without refreshing my memory, say offhand as to all these recommendations how many have been carried out, and how many have not been carried out. It would be better if the hon. Member would put down a question later.
§ 44. Sir FREDRIC WISEasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what is the estimated reduction of the expenditure owing to the agreement. between Britain and Turkey over the Iraq boundary?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the similar question put by the hon. and gallant Member for Central Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) on the 21st June, to which my right hon. Friend at present has nothing to add.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the hon. Gentleman aware that that answer conveyed no information whatever, and when will the hon. Gentleman be in a position to give an estimate of the Saving which is to be effected?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREMy right hon. Friend in that answer said the matter was being investigated, that it required very careful actuarial calculation, and that it would be some time before he could give the figures.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYMay I have an answer to the second part of my supplementary question as to when we shall be given this information?
§ Mr. 0RMSBY-GOREWhen it has been compiled.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman quite certain that this 1146 saving, when it does accrue, accrues to the taxpayers of this country, and not to the Iraq Government?
§ Captain GARRO-JONESDoes his statement of the amount saved include the £750,000 which the Iraq Government have been remitted under this agreement, and also, if we are able to remit that sum to the Government of Iraq, may I ask how that Government can afford to pay the £500,000 or £750,000 to Turkey in consideration of the capitalisation of the oil rights?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe statement is not yet ready, and I do not see how questions on what is contained in it can be taken at this stage.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODMay I have an answer to my question?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThere may be savings to the British expenditure in connection with the Air Force and British oversea charges, and there may he savings to the local budget of Iraq, but until those figures have been properly ascertained, it is quite impossible to say how much or what proportion of the one or the other.
§ Captain GARRO-JONESSince I have failed to get an answer to nine out of every 10 questions, and in most of those cases I have been unable to get an answer because you, Mr. Speaker, have ruled the question out of order—
§ Mr. SPEAKERIf the hon. and gallant Member wishes to call my action in question, he must take the regular course.
§ Captain GARRO - JONESI am not calling your action into question at all, Mr. Speaker. What I desire to ask is, in a case where the Minister was willing and ready to give an answer to my question, which was perfectly in order, why he was not allowed to give that answer?
§ Mr. SPEAKERSometimes, I have to call Ministers to order.