asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply was given by His Holiness the Pope to His Majesty's Ambassador to the Vatican on his expressing regret for the death of the Archbishop of Reggio in an air-raid by British aircraft?

My hon. Friend appears to be misinformed. I have seen reports in the Swiss Press that His Majesty's Minister at the Vatican expressed to the Cardinal Secretary of State the regret of His Majesty's Government for the death of the Archbishop, and that the Pope communicated to him details of air-raid damage to Palermo and other Sicilian towns. Mr. Osborne informs me that these statements are entirely without foundation.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether any statement was in- cluded in the reply protesting against the immorality of bombing open towns?

In whose reply?

In the reply from the Vatican.

I do not think there was any statement to which they could reply.