§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make any statement respecting the progress of the Government's proposals for. an Anglo-Egyptian agreement?
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Mr. HENDERSONNo, Sir. As indicated in my letter to the late Egyptian Prime Minister of the 3rd August last (Cmd. 3376) further progress in this matter must await the meeting of the Egyptian Parliament, for which elections will shortly be held.
§ Mr. REMERasked the Secretary of State for War if the proposed treaty with Egypt is ratified, how long it will take to build the necessary barracks for the troops guarding the Suez Canal; and what will be the cost to the British Exchequer?
§ Mr. SHAWAs regards the first part of the question, there are various factors involved which make it impossible to forecast how quickly barracks could be built. As regards the last part of the question, it is stated in the Exchange of Notes, a copy of which was presented to Parliament in Command Paper 3376, that "the Egyptian Government will provide, free of cost, to His Majesty's Government, lands, barracks, etc., in localities to be agreed upon, equivalent to those now occupied by the British forces in Egypt."