HC Deb 27 September 1944 vol 403 cc212-3
6. Sir John Mellor

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Spanish Government has now complied with the terms of the agreement concerning Tangier and Spanish Morocco announced on 2nd May, 1944.

8. Mr. Alexander Walkden

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is satisfied that the situation in Tangier has improved; that all enemy agents have been expelled; and what steps have been taken to require the Spanish Commandant to have them expelled.

Mr. Eden

The German Consulate-General in Tangier has been closed and its entire staff withdrawn. Furthermore, as a result of urgent and pressing representations by His Majesty's Ambassador in Madrid to the Spanish Government and by His Majesty's Consul-General in Tangier to the Spanish High Commissioner for Spanish Morocco, nineteen German agents have so far been expelled from Spanish Morocco and Tangier. The High Commissioner has promised that a further two agents will leave before the end of this month.

Information in the possession of His Majesty's Government, which has been communicated to the Spanish Government, shows, however, that there are still at least four German agents in the Tangier Zone and a greater number at large in Spanish Morocco. I can assure my hon. Friends that the Spanish Government are being left in no doubt that His Majesty's Government do not regard this partial fulfilment of their undertakings as satisfactory and are insisting upon the rapid and complete disposal of this question.

Mr. R. J. Taylor

Why is such delicacy being shown? It has taken a long time.

Mr. Eden

There is certainly no delicacy on our part, but there is dissatisfaction on our part that it has not been dealt with more quickly.