§ 18 and 19. Mr. RHYS DAVIESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether he is aware that the British High Commissioner in Cairo recently recommended to the native Government the dismissal of two Egyptian Cabinet Ministers, and insisted upon the acceptance of such recommendation; whether those steps were supported by our Foreign Office; and whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to continue this policy in future;
(2) whether he will give an assurance that recommendations by His Majesty's Government for ministerial or other high official changes in Egypt will be made in future only when advice is asked from Egyptian responsible quarters, and not whenever His Majesty's representative in Cairo advises them; and whether, in the case of advice involving changes of Egyptian Cabinet Ministers and high officials, His Majesty's Government intend to accept responsibility for the consequences of such changes?
§ Sir J. SIMONOn the 3rd October the Egyptian Prime Minister, Abdel Fattah Yehia Pasha, at a moment when His Majesty the King of Egypt was unfortunately seriously indisposed, raised with the acting High Commissioner questions arising out of the political situation and pointed out that an emergency would involve the joint responsibility of Egypt and the United Kingdom. His Majesty's Government agree with this view: they have weighty responsibilities in Egypt and are, amongst other things, under the obligation to protect foreign lives and. property in that country. As a result of this conversation the acting High Commissioner subsequently indicated to the Prime Minister certain steps which might be expected to strengthen the position of the administration vis-à-vis Egyptian public opinion. The action taken by His Majesty's acting High Commissioner in Egypt has met with the full support of His Majesty's Government and the advice which he has rendered has been extended to the Egyptian Government with their authority and approval.
§ Mr. DAVIESDo we understand that it is the practice of our Government here to make recommendations to dismiss Ministers in a country over which we have no control?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe circumstances in which the Acting High Commissioner made certain observations are stated very clearly in my original answer, and I conceive that in those citcumstances the Acting High Commissioner acted with perfect propriety.