§ Sir R. Glynasked the Prime Minister how many warships of the Italian Navy have been surrendered; what is the total tonnage of merchant shipping under the Italian flag at the disposal of the United Nations as a result of the armistice; and what is the present position of these ships and crews?
§ The Prime MinisterThe major part of the Italian Fleet, totalling over too warships of all categories, is in Allied hands. This includes five out of the six battleships in commission and eight out of the II cruisers. More than 150,000 tons of merchant ships have so far been accounted for in ports under Allied control. It would not be in the public interest to go into further detail. The position of ships and crews is still under active consideration, but I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that the ships will be used to the best possible advantage of the United Nations.