§ 3. Mr. G. Straussasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare whether he has any further statement to make about the increased supplies of wolfram and tin now being sent from Portugal to Germany?
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare (Mr. Dingle Foot)No, Sir. I have nothing to add to the answers which I gave to my hon. Friend on 26th October, and the further answers on 3rd November by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State.
§ Mr. StraussIs the hon. Gentleman aware that Germany is now being deprived of the bulk of her substitutes for this essential material and that the air attacks 174 on the molybdenum mines in Norway and the advance of the Russians are depriving the Germans of magnesium, and that therefore it seems to be all the more essential that Germany should be deprived of wolfram from Portugal at the moment and would not such deprivation have a crippling effect on the whole of German war industry?
§ Mr. FootIt has been made clear in a previous answer that the Government attach great importance to this trade in wolfram, and the Portuguese Government have been left in no doubt about our views on the subject.