HC Deb 05 December 1956 vol 561 cc1238-40
47. Mrs. McLaughlin

asked the Minister of Defence what Egyptian military documents have been captured during the recent fighting in the Sinai Peninsula.

Mr. Head

None. No British forces were engaged in operations in the Sinai Peninsula.

Mrs. McLaughlin

Is the Minister aware that a number of hon. Members have been circulated with documents which were captured from the Egyptians during the military operations in the Sinai Peninsula, and that these documents show that Egypt has been preparing to invade Israel since before February last year?

Mr. Benn

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Several times today you have ruled that my hon. Friends could not quote the French Ministry of Defence, and other sources available to us, but the hon. Lady has now quoted the Israeli Government, and the hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Remnant) quoted a report of what Colonel Nasser had done, for which the Minister of Defence is certainly not responsible. I wish you would clarify your Ruling in order to help the House.

Mr. Speaker

If the hon. Member has a complaint to make he should put it down in the right way. I would ask him, in fairness, to look at the Question, which asks: what Egyptian military documents have been captured during the recent fighting in the Sinai Peninsula. The right hon. Gentleman answered, "None." Then the hon. Lady asked whether he was aware that documents had been circulated. She did not say they were from Israel, or I should have stopped her. I thought that it was a criticism of his denial that none had been captured.

Mr. Head

I may have misunderstood the hon. Lady's Question, but I assumed that she meant "captured by British troops." I would not say that no documents were captured by troops other than British troops in the Sinai Peninsula.

50. Mr. Wigg

asked the Minister of Defence the time and date on which he informed the General Officer Commanding, Middle East Forces, that the Israeli Government were preparing major operations against Egypt.

Mr. Head

On 26th October the Government were informed by Her Majesty's Ambassador at Tel Aviv that mobilisation of the Israeli forces had begun. During the next two days further information was received indicating that Israeli forces were concentrating in the Negev. The Commander-in-Chief Middle East Land Forces, who was in London at the time, was at all times kept informed.

Mr. Wigg

I am much obliged to the Minister for that reply. Will he now be good enough to answer my Question? Will he give his personal word of honour that neither he nor General Keightley knew of the Israel attack before it took place?

Mr. Head

The Answer to the Question is exactly as I have stated it. We were informed of this by our Ambassador, who got it from the Military Attaché in Tel Aviv.

Mr. Stokes

Will the Minister assure the House that no information on this subject was given either to the Prime Minister or to the Foreign Secretary at the meeting in Paris on 16th October?

Mr. Head

I was not present at that meeting, but so far as I am aware, the answer is "No."

Mr. Wigg

Does the right hon. Gentleman still say that neither he nor General Keightley knew that the Israeli operation was to begin, and also that neither knew of its scope?

Mr. Head

The possibility of an Israeli attack on Egypt has been in the minds of the General Staff and of the Defence Committee and the Cabinet for some considerable time. Our first true knowledge that it was going to take place was when we were informed about the mobilisation.

Mr. Gower

Is it not remarkable that so many questions addressed to my right hon. Friend from the benches opposite appear designed to establish facts which, if established, would be discreditable to this country?

Mr. Wigg

Is it not a fact that if the facts are discreditable they are discreditable to the Government and not to the country?