§ Mr. DENMANasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to cases of expulsion of British subjects from Italy; and whether he is taking any action in the matter?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEMy right hon. Friend's attention has been drawn to three recent cases in which British subjects have been expelled from Italy. My hon. Friend will, I am sure, realise that the propriety and utility of representations to foreign Governments in cases of this kind is circumscribed by the general right of Governments to expel from their territory foreign nationals whose presence they have reason to regard as undesirable. But, in every case 2167W which has been brought to the notice of my right hon. Friend or of His Majesty's Ambassador in Rome, the matter has been promptly taken up with the Italian authorities in the manner which seemed most appropriate to the circumstances, with the result that, in two out of these three cases, the conditions under which the persons in question were obliged to leave Italy were considerably alleviated.