§ Dr. Haden Guestasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the nature of our present relations with Italy; 1381W and how far Fascist political organisations have been liquidated and Fascist economic organisations controlled.
§ Mr. EdenI would invite the hon. Member's attention to the joint statement issued by the Prime Minister and President Roosevelt after the Quebec Conference, to which I would add only this. As announced on 26th October, direct relations between His Majesty's Government and the Italian Government have been established in accordance with that statement, and Sir Noel Charles, the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Italy, has been given the personal rank of Ambassador. Count Nicolo Carandini has been appointed Italian representative in London and will shortly take up his duties. All Fascist political organisations known to the Allied authorities in liberated Italy have been liquidated. Every effort is being made to obtain information regarding underground Fascist political organisations and these are being liquidated as soon as they are discovered. The principle of destroying organisations peculiar to the Fascist system of government has been applied equally to the economic organisations of Italy. Thus the Italian Ministry of Corporations, which virtually controlled Italian industry and commerce, now no longer exists.