ASHLEY: I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty where was each one of the eight cruisers mentioned in the 59 Navy List as belonging to the Mediterranean Fleet on 9th October at the time of the Crisis in the Near East.

Viscount WOLMER: Are we to understand that the announcement that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech at Swindon was postponed owing to the Crisis in the Near East was entirely without official foundation?

A few weeks ago, when there was a great danger of a Crisis in the Near East, the Cabinet was sitting night and day.

As soon as peace is made with Turkey, I shall be able to give the House many more interesting details showing the success of the air arm during the Near East Crisis.

There is also the Crisis in the Near East in recent times, and the American overuse of the veto vis-à-vis Israel, for obvious reasons - to protect Israel and ensure that it is a secure country.

None the less, it does have to become part of the solution to the Near East Crisis as it is now unfolding.