The following day, December 12, 1947 Ernest Bevin, Foreign Secretary, made clear that there would be no consultations with the United Nations Commission, declaring: “ that the date for the termination of the Mandate had been fixed.” He told the House of Commons: (1) “We have fixed, after the most careful consideration, the date of 15 May. (2) We gested date in February but we found it physically impossible to do so. “I cannot agree to open a port until we lay down the Mandate. We cannot have two administrations at one time. Really. It is impossible.” Source: House of Commons December 12, 1947