§ 26. Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the present state of the Dead Sea concessions; and whether the agreement has been signed and ratified handing over these concessions to Mr. Novomeysky?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Dr. Drummond Shiels)The hon. and gallant Member was informed on the 13th of November last that a preliminary agreement had been signed in the previous May and that the final draft of the concession was under consideration. The transaction has since been completed and a deed was signed on the 1st of January granting the concession to Palestine Potash Limited, a company formed by Mr. Novomeysky and Major Tulloch for this purpose. The concession is on the lines of the heads of agreement printed in Command Paper No. 3326.
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this was repre- 981 sented before the Commission in Palestine to be one of the causes of the trouble in Palestine? Is it not dangerous in the present position, that the agreement should be ratified?
§ Dr. SHIELSThis agreement was made by the previous Government. We were committed to it and had in honour to carry it out.