§ 16. Lieut.-Colonel Corbettasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why merchant shipping has been detained in Egyptian ports without justification; and What action he has taken.
Mr. McNeilImmediately after a state of siege was declared on 15th May last, the Egyptian Government issued a proclamation instituting a system of search of merchant shipping in Egyptian ports by virtue of which the authorities at Alexandria, Port Said and Suez seized goods destined for Palestine. Three days later a British ship carrying grain from Australia to the British authorities in Palestine under arrangements made by the Ministry of Food was refused clearance by the Egyptian authorities at Port Said. In protest against this action His108W Majesty's Ambassador at Cairo informed the Egyptian Government that His Majesty's Government could in no way recognise that the Egyptian Government were entitled to interfere in this manner with the free movement of British shipping.
This interference with British shipping has continued however, and a number of British ships have recently been detained in Egyptian ports, but in all those cases which have been brought without delay to the attention either of His Majesty's Government or of His Majesty's Ambassador or Consular officers in Egypt the competent Egyptian authorities have responded to our representations.