§ 36. Mr. Horabinasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare what steps his Ministry is taking to prevent the escape from Europe of Nazi leaders and other German nationals on outward bound Spanish ships.
§ Mr. FootFor the last two years His Majesty's Government has administered a system of passenger and crew control on all neutral ships sailing to or from European ports. As the House is aware, neutral ships, whether inward or outward bound, are not allowed to pass through our controls without a ship navicert, and this document is in no case granted until the list of passengers and crew has been approved by our Consular authorities at the port of embarkation. In recent weeks every outward bound Spanish ship has been required, as a condition of her ship navicert, to call at a British contraband control base, where we can satisfy ourselves that no unauthorised persons are on board.