Mr. T. Morrisasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the appointment of commercial agents in Spanish territory controlled by General Franco has been successful in maintaining British commercial trade with that part of Spain; and whether he can give the latest figures on the subject?
Mr. Stanley:The appointment of these agents has, I am satisfied, proved of great value as a means of assisting British trade and commercial interests in the territories controlled by General Franco. No separate figures are available of trade with those territories, but this country's exports to Spanish territories in general have in the last three quarters shown a marked and progressive improvement as compared with the corresponding quarters a year earlier, and there is good reason 1863W to believe that this improvement is attributable in a large measure to increased exports to the territories controlled by General Franco.