§ 134. Mr. Grimondasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that the Government of Israel is now willing to negotiate through an intermediary a settlement of Arab refugees, apart from any re-negotiation of the armistice agreements; and if Her Majesty's Government will offer their good offices in this matter through the United Nations Organisation.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreI have seen reports that the Prime Minister of Israel has recently reiterated his Government's willingness to negotiate a settlement of the Arab refugee question either direct or through an intermediary. As I said in my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central (Mr. Short) on 3rd June. this is a problem principally for the United182W Nations, and Her Majesty's Government will continue to work for any solution which offers hope of general acceptance within that organisation. The hon. Gentleman may have seen that on 9th December the General Assembly passed a resolution supported by the United Kingdom which among other things requested the Palestine Conciliation Commission to make further efforts to secure the carrying out of that part of the 1948 United Nations resolution which dealt with the refugee problem.