§ LORD SYDENHAMMy Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government whether the terms of the British Mandate for Palestine will be open for discussion ill Parliament before it becomes operative.
THE DUKE OF SUTHERLANDMy Lords, I would refer the noble Lord to the answer given to him yesterday by my noble friend the First Commissioner of Works. As my noble friend stated, the Government would raise no objection to the discussion of the terms of the Draft Mandate, if it is the general desire of the House that they should be discussed. As the noble Lord knows, the Draft has already been submitted to the Council of the League of Nations, and His Majesty's Government are, not prepared to ask the Council to postpone consideration pending discussion in Parliament. 292 I would observe, however, that so long as the Treaty of Sevres remains unratified, there is not much prospect of the Draft Mandate being formally confirmed by the Council.
§ LORD SYDENHAMMight I ask the noble Duke whether the Mandate will be confirmed before the beginning of next session? If it is, of course the Houses of Parliament would have no means whatever of discussing it.