§ 2.38 p.m.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask whether the Government will make it clear that they accept neither the unilateral repudiation nor the unilateral observance of treaties; and whether they will therefore make it clear that, if General Neguib and his agents continue to infringe the spirit and intention of the recent Anglo-Egyptian Agreement providing for Sudanese independence, the British Government will regard it as invalid.]
THE MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, the views of Her Majesty's Government concerning the unilateral repudiation of treaties have already been made abundantly clear on many occasions As regards the observance of the Anglo-Egyptian Agreement of 12th February, 1953, concerning the Sudan, it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to carry out this Agreement in the letter and the spirit. It can, however, work only if both parties to the Agreement co-operate.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, was not the purpose of this Agreement that the Sudanese should be free to decide their own future, immune from any pressure or propaganda? Is that really the position to-day? I think few of us would believe it. May I further point out that on March 26 Mr. Selwyn Lloyd was reported as having said in Khartoum that this Agreement will work only if the two co-domini will abstain from propaganda, a view which I have held from the first?
THE MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, I rather think the noble Lord has succeeded in answering his own two supplementary questions to his satisfaction.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, my point is this. Does the noble Marquess 353 really believe that that is the situation to-day? Are not the Sudanese being subjected to quite illicit propaganda?
THE MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, I am very anxious to say nothing at the moment which might disturb the delicate position which exists in the Sudan. As I have said already, this Treaty can work only if both Parties agree to co-operate, and. we must continue to hope that that co-operation will be forthcoming.
§ LORD JEFFREYSMy Lords, do Her Majesty's Government agree that the time has now come to make it clear to the world, as well as to Egypt, that the Egyptians were driven from the Sudan, with heavy losses, in 1884–85, not by the British but by the Sudanese; and further, that in 1898–99 the Egyptians were led back to the Sudan by the British; and that the present good government and good administration of the Sudan are entirely due to the British and the British-manned Sudanese Civil Service, and not in any degree to the Egyptians?
THE MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, if the question which the noble Lord has just asked can be summed up as saying that the Sudan service has, during the past years, been a very admirable service, nobody, I think, would dispute it. I believe that on that we are all in agreement. Perhaps we can leave it at that.