My Lord Duke,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Grace's despatch of the 22nd ultimo,¹ in which is conveyed an invitation on behalf of His Majesty's Government to the President of the Executive Council, together with such of his colleagues as he may see fit to appoint, to attend a joint Conference with representatives of His Majesty's Government, and of the Government of Northern Ireland, to discuss matters arising out of Article 12 of the Treaty of December, 1921.

2. As Your Grace is probably aware, the Constitution of the Executive Council will not be complete until Mr. MacNeill, who has been nominated Minister of Education, and who is at present absent at Geneva, has complied with the terms of Article 17 of the Constitution.² Immediately on his return within the next few days a reply to the despatch will be forwarded.

3. My Ministers have thought it due to Your Grace that this explanation of the delay in replying should be communicated.