§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I beg to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government why £5,000,000 was recently released to the Egyptian Government in circumstances which so little warrant such a gesture.]
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (VISCOUNT SWINTON)My Lords, Her Majesty's Government agreed to the transfer of £5,000,000 from blocked Egyptian accounts to free Egyptian accounts since they were under an obligation to release this sum and were reluctant to take action which would have widened the scope of the present dispute.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I thank the noble Viscount for his answer. I gather that this payment was of an exceptional character, and I hope that no further payments are contemplated.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, this was a payment of an exceptional character; there was a very special obligation to make it.
THE EARL OF CORK AND ORRERYMy Lords, arising out of that answer, may I ask the noble Viscount whether British tankers will now be allowed to go through the Suez Canal without interference?
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, that question hardly arises out of the question of why we paid £5,000,000 to the Egyptian Government. If the noble and gallant Earl has a Question, I should be grateful if he would put it down on the Order Paper.