asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state what progress has been made in the conciliation proceedings between Italy and Abyssinia; whether they are now meeting; and whether His Majesty's Government has or will have an observer at the meetings of the Commission?

I understand that the Italo-Ethiopian Conciliation Commission held meetings at Scheveningen, in the Netherlands, on 25th, 26th and 28th June, when only preliminary and formal business was transacted, but that arrangements were made for hearing the parties as soon as possible. The next plenary session is expected to be on Tuesday, 2nd July. As regards the last part of the question, no British observer is attending the Commission's meetings. The Commission has been set up under the terms of the Treaty of Friendship signed at Addis Ababa on 2nd August, 1928, to which Italy and Abyssinia alone are parties, and His Majesty's Government are not therefore entitled to be represented in any way.