§ 24. Mr. MAXTONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can now announce the personel of the Palestine Commission and the date when it will commence work?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI hope to be able to make a statement about the personnel and terms of reference of the commission to-day week.
§ Mr. MAXTONCan the Minister say anything about the date when they will commence working?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI cannot say anything but what I have already said. The commission obviously cannot go to Palestine until there is sufficient order in the country to enable it to move about the country.
§ Mr. MAXTONSurely the members of the commission should be ready to face the difficulties of the task they have taken on?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORENo, it is quite impossible to send out a Royal Commission until local conditions permit.
§ Mr. MAXTONIs it not because conditions are difficult that the commission is being appointed? Why not send it out to get on with the job, instead of sending it out when the trouble is over?
§ Sir PERCY HARRISHas the situation improved, and is it better than it was three weeks ao?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI say quite frankly that the position is still serious. The amount of armed outrage, shooting, holding up of communications and threats to pipe-lines is still serious.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs it impossible to reconsider the decision not to appoint a woman on this commission?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThat is rather another matter. I have already answered a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield (Mr. Lovat-Fraser) on that point, in which I said that I did ask the High Commissioner whether it was practicable, and I received a reply, which I gave to the House, that it would affect the religious susceptibilities of the zealous Jews and many of the Arabs.
§ Mr. LANSBURYWould the right hon. Gentleman receive representations on this matter from people in this country who also are acquainted with the facts?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI have received such representations, including some from educated Arabs now in England, but they cannot speak for all in Palestine. Anyone who knows the conditions there knows that people of that type do not represent what is a considerable section of the community.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODWould the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of withdrawing the troops?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere is nothing in the question about the withdrawal of troops.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODThat is the cause of the trouble.
§ Mr. SPEAKERMiss Rathbone.
Miss RATHBONEMay I ask a supplementary question on Question 24? Is it an index of the fitness of the Arabs for self-government that they would not even appear before a Commission which included a woman?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI do not think that that question arises out of the question on the Paper.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe have passed that question.