§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsbergasked the Prime Minister if he will make a further statement about the appointment of the Egyptian Ambassador to the Court of St. James.
§ The Prime MinisterI regret that in the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 28th March I unwittingly misled the House. The request for agrément for General Shazly was received some time ago. In view of publicity at that time, I thought, wrongly, that agrément had been given. It had not. Because of delays imposed by the election, the task of discussing the matter with the Egyptian Government and of tendering advice to Her Majesty the Queen devolved upon the present Government.