§ Mr. Footasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information to give the House on the progress of his efforts to secure a general amnesty for political prisoners in Spain.
§ Mr. BevinThe Spanish Government's decision to grant a general pardon to offenders guilty of rebellion or other offences committed before 1st April, 1939, has been embodied in a Decree. His Majesty's Ambassador at Madrid has reported that, according to the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, 10,000 to 12,000 persons will benefit from this Decree. I have not yet any information as to the extent to which this amnesty is already being implemented, beyond the fact that two prominent members of the Socialist Party have been released.
The pardon does not, however, cover accessory punishments. "This is a serious qualification, since these "accessory punishments" include such disabilities as the debarring of released persons from exercising their professions and returning to their previous domicile to live. I am continuing to watch the matter.