Oral Answers to Questions — Spain.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 30 March 1938.

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Photo of Mr R.A. Butler Mr R.A. Butler , Saffron Walden

The procedure for dealing with alleged breaches of the Non-intervention Agreement submitted to the Nonintervention Committee by Governments was laid down by the Committee in September, 1936. The main features of this procedure are that a complaint may only be submitted to the Committee by one of the Governments represented thereon, and that it must be regarded by that Government as being of sufficient importance and as being founded on evidence of sufficient weight to afford a reasonable presumption that, in fact, some breach of the Agreement has occurred. Under the Observation Scheme adopted by the Committee in March, 1937, it is the duty of the officers of the Non-intervention Board to report to the board any breaches of the scheme which may come to their notice in the performance of their duties. It has then been the practice of the Secretary to the board to circulate information regarding such breaches to the Non-intervention Committee, who can of course, if they so desire, debate them. If, however, any Government wished to base a complaint against another Government on information obtained in this manner, it would be necessary to comply with the procedure laid down by the Committee as I have already explained.