§ 43. Mr. T. Williamsasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will prepare, in consultation with the Foreign Office, an estimate of the proportion of the recent military expenditure in Palestine which was due to the necessities of the international situation rather than to local causes?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreNo, Sir. The sole object of sending reinforcements to Palestine was, as I thought I made clear when speaking on the Supplementary Estimate for the Colonial and Middle Eastern Services on 22nd February, to deal with the local disturbances, and no other motives entered into the decision of 1141 His Majesty's Government to reinforce the garrison of Palestine last September.
§ Mr. WilliamsAs something in excess of £1,000,000 is clearly a heavy burden for Palestine to bear, does not the right hon. Gentleman think that the international situation at that moment also had an effect upon the sending of the number of troops that were required in Palestine to quell the riots?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreThat is a matter of opinion. I have told the hon. Gentleman my opinion as to the object.
§ Mr. WilliamsWill the right hon. Gentleman, before apportioning the total cost of the arms and forces that we sent to Palestine, have the question reconsidered in the light of the possible implications of the international situation at the moment?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreIt is not a question of the total cost to Palestine, but the difference between the cost of maintaining the troops in other garrisons and the cost of their maintenance in Palestine.