§ 39. Mr. Stokesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many machine tools and processes have been removed from German factories by T-force; how many factories have thereby been affected outside the range of those recently listed for dismantling; how many more tools and processes remain to be removed by T-force; and how many further factories will be so affected.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Mayhew)Seven hundred and forty-one machine tools and processes have been removed by T-force; of these 363 were from 183 factories not among those recently listed for dismantling. Another eight have been requisitioned and await removal, but no additional factories are involved, and no further requisitioning will take place.
§ 41. Mr. Stokesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will give a clear definition of buildings which, though at one time used for war purposes, are now not to be destroyed if they can be used for peaceful purposes, as stated in a recent declaration accompanying the list of factories to be dismantled for reparations in Germany; and whether this list of buildings to be spared includes the Rhine Metal Works at Dusseldorf, the office buildings of the Torpedo Factories at Eckenforde and some of the buildings at Krupps Works at Essen.
§ Mr. MayhewThe recent declaration to which my hon. Friend refers covered only buildings in plants on the list which was published for reparations. Instructions have been issued that surface buildings in these plants may be retained, pending further agreement between the Allied Governments, even though they were specially built for armaments production or other war purposes. I will send my hon. Friend a copy of the actual instruction. There are also other buildings scheduled for destruction which are not part of these reparations plants but which form part of military installations of various kinds. Regional Commissioners 375 have been given authority for some time past to suspend the destruction of such buildings if they are needed for the German economy. It has, however, been thought desirable to clarify the position still further in order to make it quite clear that air-raid shelters, and similar constructions, are not to be destroyed at present if they are needed for accommodation or storage purposes. I shall be glad to let my hon. Friend have a copy of these instructions as soon as they are issued.
§ Mr. StokesWhile I thank my hon. Friend for his reply, may I ask if he can assure me that those buildings in Eckenforde are not to be destroyed?
§ Mr. MayhewWe are considering that particular case and I will write to my hon. Friend on the matter.
§ Mr. ScollanIs the Minister not yet convinced that the hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes) is a legatee of the late German regime?
§ Mr. HouseWould the right hon. Gentleman agree that it is futile to conclude that any sound factory cannot be used for peaceful purposes, particularly in a devastated country like Germany?
§ Mr. MayhewWe are taking a liberal view on the question.
§ 42. Mr. Stokesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the estimated value of patents, processes, designs, secrets and know how, etc., taken from Germany under T Force operations; and how far they correspond with the assessed value of £2,000,000,000 as claimed by Mr. Molotov.
§ Mr. MayhewIt would be impossible to make a reliable estimate of this character, since the products of the investigations referred to have not been sold, but with few exceptions have been published and made freely available to the world. The figure mentioned by Mr. Molotov covered a wider field than that referred to in the Question and was, even so, a fantastic over-estimate.
§ Mr. StokesThat may very well be true, but may I ask how my hon. Friend proposes to assess the value of these various appropriations in arriving at the total amount paid in reparations?
§ Mr. MayhewI do not think an estimate can be made. In any case, I can see no purpose in offsetting it against some other hypothetical figure.