§ 110. Mr. F. Willeyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the mass deportation of Hungarian-speaking people from the frontier districts in Slovakia by the Czechoslovak Government; whether this action is in accord with the spirit of the recent discussions on the question of minorities; and whether any representations have been made to the Czechoslovak Government.
§ Mr. BevinI presume my hon. Friend is referring to the compulsory transfer of labour in Czechoslovakia which is taking place under the terms of the Mobilisation of Labour Decree, No. 88, of 1945. The number of persons of Magyar origin who have been moved from Slovakia to the western districts of Czechoslovakia represents less than 10 per cent. of the total number of Slovaks involved. According to official figures over a million Czechs have, in addition to those transferred from Slovakia, been subject to direction under the mobilisation of labour scheme. I understand that the whole question of the Magyar population in Slovakia is likely to form the subject of direct negotiations between the two countries. No representations have been made to the Czechoslovak Government.