§ Mr. Cocksasked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement as to the situation which has arisen through the erection of heavy guns in territory adjacent to Gibraltar?
§ The Prime MinisterI can add nothing to the statement made on behalf of the Government on this subject in the course of the Debate on Tuesday last, to which I would refer the hon. Member.
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§ Colonel Nathanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether he is aware that correspondence from the territories occupied by General Franco's forces other than purely diplomatic correspondence transmitted in the diplomatic bag, but including official communications from His Majesty's Consuls not despatched by bag, has to be submitted unsealed to General Franco's military censors for censorship and, at their discretion, despatch or destruction; whether any such consular communications have been received here censored; and whether he is satisfied that all communications addressed by His Majesty's Consuls to the appropriate Department in this country have been duly received;
(2) whether he is aware that General Franco's representatives claim the right to open and censor official and other communications, not transmitted by bag, addressed from this country to His Majesty's Consuls in the territories above mentioned; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that communications between His Majesty's Government and subjects in this country and His Majesty's Consuls in such territories may be free from censorship or other interference on the part of General Franco and his representatives?
§ Viscount CranborneThere have been one or two isolated cases of censorship by the Spanish insurgent authorities of the official correspondence of His Majesty's consular officers, and protests on this subject have been addressed to the insurgent authorities on two occasions. As a result of these protests, the consular mails have been allowed to pass without interference and I do not therefore feel that any further action on the part of His Majesty's Government is called for in the matter. I am not aware that any communications addressed by His Majesty's consular officers to His Majesty's Government have failed to arrive.
§ Commander Locker-Lampsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether upon the rising of Parliament His Majesty's Government will approach both sides in Spain and invite the leaders to lay down their arms for a truce of a week, so as to afford an opportunity for free discussion and the settlement of disputes?
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§ Viscount CranborneI am afraid that such an approach as my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind, if made at the present time, would be undoubtedly rejected by both parties. I can, however, assure my hon. and gallant Friend that His Majesty's Government are constantly watching the situation in order that no opportunity in which a further effort at mediation might usefully be made should be lost.