§ Mr. Richard Law(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make a statement regarding the action taken by the French Government to alter the frontiers of the Saar.
§ Mr. BevinYes, Sir. The French Government proposed to the Council of Foreign Ministers that the Saar should be economically integrated with France. They have not proposed political incorporation and they have made it clear that the Saar would have separate institutions from France. The French Government have recently put forward new proposals for the boundaries of the Saar. These proposals involve a considerable withdrawal from the present administrative frontier in the area between the old Saar and Luxembourg, but in the North-East and East certain districts containing lateral railways which serve the Saar industrial concentration are included. In these circumstances, I have informed the French Government that, subject always to decisions to be taken at the final peace settlement and to a satisfactory agreement being reached on the adjustment of the French reparations claim so as to take into account the value of the Saar, His Majesty's Government have no objection to the boundaries of the Saar as now proposed nor to the French intention to proceed with their plan to issue a new currency within the boundaries of the Saar as now defined, in place of German marks.