HC Deb 05 July 1948 vol 453 cc7-8
8. Mr. Piratin

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many observers, and of which nationalities, have been attached by the Security Council to the United Nations Mediator in Palestine.

Mr. McNeil

The Mediator's staff of 98 Military Observers is composed of five Swedes, and of 31 persons from each of the three member States of the Security Council's Truce Commission in Palestine, i.e., the United States, France and Belgium.

Mr. Piratin

In view of the statement that there are five Swedish observers present in Palestine and that the Soviet Government expressly asked for five observers of theirs to be present in Palestine, can the right hon. Gentleman say why it was not possible for our representatives to support that very reasonable request?

Mr. McNeil

The hon. Gentleman is apparently confusing two questions. The Soviet Government's resolution dealt not with the composition of Count Bernadotte's Mission, but with its distribution. We therefore confined ourselves to support of the resolution which provided for the three participating countries.