§ 115. Mr. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he proposes to take to claim compensation from the Egyptian Government, on behalf of British shipping companies, for the ships that were trapped in the Suez Canal as a result of the Egyptian Government's action in illegally blocking the canal.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreNo British ships were trapped in the Canal.
§ 121 and 122. Mr. Pageasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) if he will arrange for publication of the full text of the agreement between the Egyptian Government and the United Nations Organisation, initialled on 3rd January, 1957, allowing the United Nations salvage fleet to clear the Suez Canal;
(2) whether he will arrange for publication of the full text of the contracts made by the United Nations Organisation with governments and public or private undertakings for the salvage operations or the use of salvage ships in the clearance of the Suez Canal.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreA copy of the Second Report of the Secretary General of the United Nations on the clearing of the Suez Canal is being placed in the Library of the House. This report includes the text of an exchange of letters on 8th January constituting an agreement between the Secretary-General and the Egyptian Government on Canal clearance. It also describes the arrangements made by the United Nations with various salvage organisations, including the Anglo/French salvage fleet.
57W
§ 123. Mr. Pageasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how long he now estimates it will take the salvage fleet as at present constituted to clear the Suez Canal.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreIn his Second Report on the clearing of the Suez Canal issued on 10th January, the Secretary General said that Stage One of his clearance programme, for vessels up to 10,000 tons, should be completed by early March, and Stage Two, for larger vessels, by early May.