§ LORD DAVIESMy Lords, I beg to ask my second question.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government, what steps have been taken to protest against the violation of the neutrality of Sweden by the constant passage of German troops through that country; whether their attention has been drawn to recent statements in the Swedish Parliament relating to the landing in Sweden of a German military aircraft containing a number of troops equipped with unmounted machine guns; whether they can state whether the men and equipment concerned will be detained by the Swedish authorities for the duration of the war; and what action they propose to take.]
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT CRANBORNE) (Lord Cecil)My Lords, the Swedish authorities have assured His Majesty's Government that the passage of German troops through Sweden is confined to troops going on, and returning from leave from North Norway, under an agreement made by the Swedish Government with the Germans in the summer of 1940. His Majesty's Government at once, as long ago as July 9, 1940, informed the Swedish Government that they regarded the conclusion of this agreement as a breach of Sweden's obligations as a neutral, and those representations have been renewed on various subsequent occasions. His Majesty's Government are aware of the statements made in the Swedish Parliament to which the noble Lord refers. It appears that the men in the aircraft referred to were allowed to proceed to their destination, but the aircraft itself and the machine guns have been detained in Sweden. His Majesty's Government take a serious view of this incident and are instructing their representative in Stockholm to make their views known to the Swedish Government.