HC Deb 06 March 1947 vol 434 cc650-2
60. Mr. Zilliacus

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total sums expended during the last two years for all purposes, including loans and expenditure on naval, military and air forces and police in, or on behalf of, Greece and Palestine.

Mr. Dalton

The approximate figures are: Greece, £87 million, including £48 million for the cost of British Forces, and of mutual aid in 1945; Palestine, £82 mil lion—all for military expenditure.

Mr. Zilliacus

Is it correct, as stated by the United States Secretary of State, that Greece is now on the verge of economic collapse?

Colonel Gomme-Duncan

So are we.

Mr. Dalton

The only comment I will allow myself on this topic at the moment, is that both the British soldier and the British taxpayer the have done a good deal more than their fair share for both those countries.

Mr. Oliver Stanley

Is it not a fact that in addition to the 40-odd million of military expenditure in Palestine there is a large grant-in-aid for civilian security services?

Mr. Dalton

My information is that the £82 million to which I referred over two years is all in respect of military expenditure. That is the information given me, but it may be that military expenditure is for keeping order, or trying to keep order in one form or another and that it covers police forces as a whole.

Mr. Tiffany

Will my right hon. Friend ensure that the gifts from New Zealand and Australia are not poured into this Greek sink of iniquity?

Mr. Dalton

Those gifts will not be diverted in either of those two directions. They will help to reduce the sterling balances of those two Dominion Governments. That is the desire of those Governments, and their intention.

Major Legge-Bourke

Will the expenditure, or any part of the expenditure, in Palestine be recovered from the Jewish authorities, who are largely responsible for terrorism?

Mr. Dalton

I answered a Question the other day on this subject, and said I was in consultation with the Colonial Secretary as to whether we could collect a further contribution from the Palestine administration.

Later—

Mr. Kirkwood

On a point of Order. During Question time, Mr. Zilliacus—[HON. MEMBERS: "Order."]—the hon. Member for Gateshead—[An HON. MEM BER: "The Member for Moscow"]—put a question, in which he said that according to information from America, Greece was on the verge of financial bankruptcy—[AN HON. MEMBER: "So are we."] There is the same thing. A voice from the Opposition said, "So are we." That statement that Britain was on the verge of bankruptcy was received with cheers. The Opposition cheered it. My point of Order is that seeing that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer are here—

Earl Winterton

That is not a point of Order.

Mr. Kirkwood

Mr. Speaker will tell me—

Mr. Speaker

If the hon. Member would address the Chair then I could hear his point of Order, but if he addresses other hon. Members I certainly cannot

Mr. Kirkwood

My point of Order is to ask whether there is any way in which I can raise this question, in order that the Prime Minister or the Chancellor of the Exchequer may give the lie to this atmosphere which the Opposition are trying to create, that our country—

Earl Winterton

That is no point of Order.

Mr. Kirkwood

—is on the verge of bankruptcy. It is not true.

Mr. Speaker

The points the hon. Member raised are certainly not points of Order. The hon. Member must find his own opportunity on some other occasion to raise that point. It may be a debating point.