§ 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 His Majesty's Government whether Parliament will be consulted before any irreparable risk is run in regard to the protection of the Suez Canal.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD HENDERSON)My Lords. I think my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary has recently made it clear, in a statement which he made in another place on April 11, that while His Majesty's Government's treaty-making power must be preserved in this, as in other cases, Parliament will have an opportunity to confirm or reject any agreement reached with the Egyptian Government on this matter before it enters into force. I have nothing to add to this statement, except to repeat that both His Majesty's Government and the Egyptian Government have agreed that neither of them should comment at present on the matters under discussion between themselves.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his statement which does not, however, entirely remove my apprehensions. I will take an opportunity of trying to explain them in more detail next week.