§ 40. Major MILNERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state the present position of the dispute between the United Kingdom and Persia in regard to the concession held by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company; and whether negotiations for a settlement are now proceeding?
§ Sir J. SIMONIn the reply which I gave on the 7th February to the question asked by the hon. Member for Colchester on this subject, I described the provisional arrangement which had been arrived at as a result of the proceedings before the Council of the League of Nations last January with a view to the settlement of the dispute. In accordance with the terms of that arrangement, direct negotiations, which will, however, remain under the aegis of the Rap-porteur, will shortly be resumed between the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and the Persian Government at Tehran.
§ Major MILNERIs it proposed that the Government should be represented at this conference?
§ Sir J. SIMONNo, Sir. The negotiations, as I have just stated, will be negotiations between the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and the Persian Government, but the Rapporteur, Dr. Benesh, will remain in touch with what is going on.