asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the fact that armistice agreements have been made between Israel and Transjordan, he will consider raising the arms embargo on the latter country and on any other Arab state that signs an armistice.

It is the desire of His Majesty's Government that the arms embargo should be lifted as soon as peace and tranquillity are reasonably well established. I have the matter under constant review and I hope that the time will not be long delayed.

Since the Government of Transjordan have signed an armistice agreement with Israel, would not my right hon. Friend consider now lifting the arms embargo for Transjordan and all those who have signed similar agreements?

We hope to clear up the whole situation so that everybody will be in exactly the same position.

Would it not be more humane for this country to sell food instead of selling arms to the Arab States, and medical supplies in order to relieve the tens of thousands of Arab refugees who are in danger of dying from starvation and disease?

We are under contract we interrupted this contract under the decision for an armistice, and these people are quite entitled to have those contracts resumed when those conditions are removed. As for the Arab refugees, I think our country has done more for them than any other country in the world, and it would have been very much better if the country who drove them out had not done so.