HC Deb 21 January 1948 vol 446 cc195-6
28. Mr. Warbey

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is satisfied that the proposals made by the Italian Government for legislative and executive organs in the Trentino-Alto Adige region give full effect to the promise of local autonomy for the South Tyrol made in the Italo-Austrian Agreement of September, 1946, which was subsequently incorporated in the Italian Peace Treaty.

Mr. McNeil

I understand that the Committee of the Assembly which is dealing with the Draft Statute is at present hearing the views of representatives of the German-speaking population. For the present, therefore, I should prefer to reserve comment on the Italian proposals, but I can assure my hon. Friend that the matter is one which His Majesty's Government are following with sympathetic interest.

Mr. Warbey

Would the Minister bear in mind, in any representations which it may be possible to make to the Italian Government, that this Agreement was freely and voluntarily entered into by the Italian Government and was only subsequently incorporated in the Peace Treaty?

Mr. McNeil

I am sure that that is in the mind of the parties concerned.

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