HC Deb 06 December 1938 vol 342 cc1004-5
81. Mr. A. Henderson

asked the Prime Minister whether the Non-Intervention Committee have now determined the moment and the conditions of the proportional evacuation of the foreign volunteers from Spain on the basis of the United Kingdom formula; and to what extent the Italian Government are giving effect to such evacuation as undertaken by them in the Anglo-Italian Agreement, in view of the fact that the whole of the foreign volunteers on the Spanish Government's side have now been withdrawn from their armed force?

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Butler)

The Non-Intervention Committee's plan cannot come into force until it has been accepted by General Franco's administration. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.

Mr. Henderson

Is it not a fact that the Spanish Government have withdrawn the whole of the foreign nationals from their Army, and, in view of that fact, is there not an obligation on the Italian Government to do the same thing under their agreement with this country?

Mr. Butler

It is true that the Spanish Government have withdrawn their foreign nationals from the front, and in many cases from Spain. The Italian Government have also withdrawn about 10,000 of their nationals from Spain.