§ 41. Colonel Crosthwaite-Eyreasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action has been taken by His Majesty's Government to block releases from sterling balances to Iraq, consequent upon the refusal by that country to ratify the Anglo-Iraq Treaty.
§ Sir S. CrippsNone, Sir.
§ Colonel Crosthwaite-EyreAs the Treaty of Alliance has failed to be ratified, does the Chancellor of the Exchequer think it right to spend over £60 million a year in hard currency, and to release one-fifth of the blocked sterling balances to this country at the present time?
§ Sir S. CrippsI should have thought it extremely wrong to bring pressure on a Government to ratify a treaty which it is perfectly at liberty to ratify or not to ratify.
§ Colonel Crosthwaite-EyreDoes not the Chancellor of the Exchequer consider it 1004 is our first duty to safeguard our own resources? Is not that his paramount duty?