§ Captain P. MACDONALDasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made with regard to providing a suitable settlement for the Assyrians of Iraq; and whether he can make any statement with regard to this matter?
§ Mr. EDENIn a note dated 2nd September His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom communicated to the Assyrian Committee of the Council of the League of Nations a detailed statement regarding the possibilities, in so far as they are known, of settling the Assyrians in the Rupununi district of British Guiana. In a note of 24th September the French Government put forward for the Committee's consideration the idea of settlement in the bend of the River Niger in French West Africa. Both Governments urged the importance, however, as a first step of despatching Missions of investigation to the areas in question to pronounce upon their suitability for the particular purpose of Assyrian settlement. The Com-368W mittee has since despatched a Mission of Investigation to British Guiana. It is estimated that this Mission, which was due to arrive in the colony on 31st October, will require three months for the accomplishment of its task. The question of sending a similar Mission to French West Africa is to be considered further by the Assyrian Committee on the receipt of supplementary information which it has asked the French Government to furnish.