§ 12. Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can now make a further statement on the action taken by the Security Council following the receipt of a letter 172 from the Government of Israel representative at the United Nations Organisation alleging interference by the Government of Egypt with two ships loaded with cargo in Haifa and unloaded at Port Said.
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Selwyn Lloyd)No action has been taken by the Security Council in this matter. Nor was it in fact requested by the Government of Israel.
§ Mr. HendersonMay we have an assurance from the Foreign Secretary that there can be no question of the Security Council failing to take action under the Charter and allowing this situation to deteriorate into a dangerous situation?
§ Mr. LloydWe certainly do not wish that sort of thing to happen. The matter is now being handled, I hope, satisfactorily.
§ Mr. S. SilvermanIn view of the fact that the Government's defence of their general Suez policy was that it was necessary to take this action in order to keep the Suez Canal free to shipping under the original agreement, and in view of the fact that it has now been handled, as the Foreign Secretary says, for six or seven years without any result of any kind, will the right hon. and learned Gentleman say what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on freedom of passage in the Suez Canal?
§ Mr. LloydOur view is that there should be free passage through the Suez Canal. I indicated that this matter was being handled in a certain way and I do not think that Questions in the House will assist cargoes to get through.