§ Mr. W. Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any information has been received by the Non-Intervention Committee from the officers appointed under the control scheme as to the passage of war materials into Spain either by land or sea; and whether any war materials have, in fact, been prevented from passing into Spain by the control scheme since it was established.
§ Viscount CranborneI understand that the Non-Intervention Board have not received any reports of the arrival in Spain of prohibited cargoes on ships which have submitted to the observation scheme or over the land frontiers. A number of ships have been reported as having failed to comply with the procedure laid down under the scheme, but in all these cases satisfactory explanations have subsequently been received. The general impression of the Board is that the scheme, so far as it goes, is working effectively and well, and that such arms and munitions as are continuing to reach Spain from abroad are coming through the gaps in the scheme of which the House has already heard. His Majesty's Government are now giving very careful thought to the possibility of filling these gaps.
§ Mr. Robertsasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, what British, German, French, and Italian warships are now in Spanish waters.
Mr. CooperAccording to the information at my disposal the following French, German, and Italian warships were in Spanish waters yesterday:—
French.—Two cruisers, eight destroyers, four sloops, together with five other small vessels.1536WGerman.—One armoured ship, two cruisers, six destroyers and four submarines.Italian.—Four flotilla leaders and four destroyers.The following of H.M. Ships are at present in Spanish waters:—one battleship, two cruisers, two flotilla leaders, 12 destroyers and one depot ship. In addition there are a destroyer, a trawler and the First Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla on passage to Malta passing through Spanish waters.