HC Deb 05 February 1930 vol 234 cc1869-70
7. Sir K. WOOD

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has yet had any communication from the Egyptian Government with regard to the proposed treaty submitted by the British Government; and what is the present position with regard to the proposed treaty?

Mr. A. HENDERSON

The Egyptian Prime Minister presented the treaty proposals to the Chamber on the 3rd February in the following terms: In fulfilment of the promise made in the speech from the Throne regarding the British proposals, I have the honour to submit to you these proposals in the name of the Government. To the spirit of conciliation which prompted those proposals the Egyptian Wafd, over which I have the honour to preside, has responded in a similar spirit. That spirit was clearly manifested in the successive declarations which I have made before and after my taking office. It was equally clearly revealed in the speech from the Throne and in the speech I made on the occasion of the reply. The Government is resolved, if you give it a mandate, to seize the opportunity of the presence in power of a British Government animated by a spirit of good understanding and friendship towards Egypt, to negotiate with it on the proposals in the same spirit and with the same desire of good understanding and friendship in the hope of reaching an honourable and lasting agreement between the two countries. It is of importance to the Government that the Chamber should urgently examine the question of the mandate which we seek, so that we may be in a position to reply to the British Government and to put ourselves in contact with them in order to come to an agreement regarding an early date for the opening of negotiations. We firmly hope that the negotiations will result in the agreement so much desired, in the interest and for the good of the two countries. Once concluded, this agreement will be submitted by the Government to Parliament, which will have to give its ratification, and as soon as it will be ratified the Government will undertake its execution faithfully and scrupulously. The High Commissioner reports that this statement was greeted by prolonged applause. It is understood that the Egyptian Government's demand for a mandate will be taken by the Chamber on the 6th of February.

Mr. WARDLAW-MILNE

Does the right hon. Gentleman read into that declaration any statement on the part of the Egyptian Prime Minister that the previous negotiations which he himself had are to be the basis of the new treaty, or whether the negotiations referred to mean an entirely new set of negotiations?

Mr. HENDERSON

Certainly not; I take the position that the whole statement is so friendly that, when the deputation comes, it is coming to negotiate on the basis that we set out before the House last year.