§ 72. Sir Geoffrey Johnson SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, pursuant to his reply of 21 October,Official Report, column 770, relating to the failure of Her Majesty's Government's efforts through diplomatic means to restore Mr. Douglas Forsyth property in Cairo, Her Majesty's Government will now assume responsibility for regaining vacant possession of Mr. Forsyth's property, taken over by the Egyptian Government in 1956; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarNo. Following desequestration of the villa in 1960, Mr. Forsyth's late father accepted compensation from the Foreign Compensation Commission for the depreciation in the value of his property attributable to its being returned to him with a sitting tenant. Other British citizens in a similar position subsequently sold their properties without vacant possession. This option remains open to Mr. Forsyth should he fail in his current action before the Egyptian courts.