§ THE EARL OF MIDLETONMy Lords, I desire to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the Papers relating to India, promised in the debate on the Address, will be laid on the Table; and whether it is proposed to lay any Papers with regard to Egypt. The noble Marquess will realise that the war has made a complete change and a fresh departure in regard to the information laid before Parliament on all questions connected with foreign affairs and the Dependencies. But I rather hope that, having regard to his old experiences in another place when we were companions, he will revert to the better practice of giving Parliament the opportunity of judging to some extent of what the Government are doing and proposing.
In the case of India the noble Marquess certainly held out a hope to us, in his speech on the Address, that Lord Reading's Despatch would be laid on the Table, and we hoped that it might be accompanied by other Papers. May I press upon him also that the very grave events that have been taking place in Egypt, and also the 232 recent visit of Lord Allenby and the Councils which, we know, have gone on during that period, make it highly desirable that some Papers should be laid before Parliament as speedily as may be with regard to the position of affairs in Egypt.
§ THE MARQUESS CURZON OF KEDLESTONMy Lords, the noble Earl is quite correct in saying that in the debate on the Address I mentioned that a Despatch, or communication, was shortly expected from the Viceroy of India, giving the views of the Government of India upon the existing situation. That communication has now arrived, and it is being prepared in the India Office for submission to Parliament, as promised by me on that occasion. It will be accompanied by other Papers, I believe, as well, which are being selected and arranged in the India Office for the purpose. I hope that these Papers will be in the hands of Parliament on Wednesday of next week; at any rate, in the course of next week.
As regards the Egyptian Papers, we did, I think in December last, lay Papers, i.e. Papers up to the point at which we had failed to come to an agreement with the Adly Mission in England in the course of last year; and the views of His Majesty's Government, contained in a Despatch, had then been communicated by Lord Allenby to the Sultan. Since that date there have been, of course, communications between the High Commissioner and ourselves, culminating in the agreement which has just been arrived at. Upon that point, too, Papers are being prepared, and they will be laid also in the course of next week, I hope on Tuesday next, so that Parliament will be in a position, whether it discusses the matter then or a little later, to know at any rate the final stage which the negotiations have reached.