§ Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare if he has any information as to the extent to which German capital has succeeded in penetrating directly and indirectly into Spain; and what degree of control the enemy exercises over the Spanish shipbuilding, mining, iron and steel, chemical and road transport industries, respectively.
§ Mr. FootYes, Sir. I have received in recent months considerable evidence of German infiltration into Spanish industry. Spanish law prohibits the acquisition by foreign companies of controlling interests in Spanish companies. German infiltration, however, takes the form of making available processing and patent rights and supplying technical plant, advisers and engineers. It is not possible to assess with exactitude the degree of control obtained by such methods over the industries mentioned in the second part of the Question.