§ Captain P. MACDONALD(by Private Notice) asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the fact that two members of the British Parliament have been invited to express the views of Great Britain with regard to the debts question before the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States Government; whether the evidence to be given by these individuals will in any respect be of an official nature; and, if not, whether he will take the necessary steps to inform the United States Government of this fact, and of the consequential undesirability of the evidence being heard?
§ Mr. EDENI presume that the hon. and gallant Member refers to reports which appeared in the daily Press of the 5th December. According to the information I have received, these reports were inaccurate and the last two parts of the question do not therefore arise. I take this opportunity, however, of making it clear that no Member of either House of Parliament has been authorised by His Majesty's Government to discuss with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States Senate, the question of the payments due from His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to the Government of the United States in respect of war debts.