§ Mr. HAYESasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the published minutes of the sitting of the Permanent Mandates Commission on 20th June last, when the Marquis Theodoli, Chairman of the Commission, stated that certain petitions addressed by the inhabitants of mandated territories to the League of Nations were not being allowed to reach the Secretariat; and whether he can give an assurance that this allegation does not apply to British mandated territories?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThe answer to both parts of the question is in the affirmative. Since the statement in question was made one case has come to light where the authorities in a British mandated territory declined to forward a petition on the ground that the complaint of the petitioner was directed against a foreign Government in respect of matters arising before the issue of the Mandate, and did not arise out of the execution of the Mandate. On this coming to the notice of His Majesty's Government, the local Government were at once instructed to forward the petition, and it has since been transmitted to the League.