asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the financial agreement between England and Egypt will be submitted to this House?

No, Sir. The agreement came into force immediately on its acceptance by the two Governments and does not require Parliamentary ratification. The agreement has been printed and presented to Parliament as Command Paper No. 3305.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, under the Egyptian Constitution, it requires to be ratified by the Egyptian Parliament; and how does he know that it will be so ratified? Will he give me his opinion on the matter?

I am afraid that I can only answer for His Majesty's Government.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the Egyptian Constitution has been suspended; and has that fact been taken into consideration by His Majesty's Government?

This is a very proper arrangement in every way, and it conforms entirely to the high standard of international equity; and, as an arrangement has been made which we regard as satisfactory, and which the Egyptian Government regard as satisfactory, I do not see why there should be any trouble about it.

Arising out of the original reply, may I take it that the financial arrangement mentioned between England and Egypt does not involve Scotland and Wales?

If there are certain occasions on which England never should be mentioned, and if we on this occasion have stepped outside our proper bounds, it is by inadvertence.

May I ask whether when this agreement was pending the right hon. Gentleman had any knowedge of the representative character of the Ministers who made it on the Egyptian side?

Yes, Sir; and, on the whole, I think they were representative of real Egyptian feeling.