HC Deb 12 April 1933 vol 276 cc2561-3
9. Captain ERSKINE-BOLST

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state the result of the inquiries made by his Department as to the possibility of obtaining a verbatim report of the proceedings at the Moscow trial for publication in this country?

Sir J. SIMON

I regret that the daily publication of a verbatim report would not be practicable. But I understand that arrangements can be made for the publication of an adequate daily summary of the proceedings, and this shall be done.

Captain ERSKINE-BOLST

May I ask if the right hon. Gentleman is in a position to tell the House why there is differential treatment? Why is Mr. Macdonald still in gaol while the others are let out?

Captain CAZALET

What steps will the right hon. Gentleman take to keep the public informed during the Recess about the trial?

Sir J. SIMON

My information is that the trial begins to-day and will go on from day to day. If that is the case, the daily summary will reach this country daily, and I will see, as far as I am concerned, that it is made available to the Press as rapidly as we receive it.

Mr. LANSBURY

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether it is impossible to get a verbatim report taken in Russian and then translated in this country? Summaries are very misleading sometimes.

Sir J. SIMON

The right hon. Gentleman must not misunderstand me. I was not saying that it was impossible to obtain a verbatim report. Obviously, if there is a series of shorthand writers of competence and skill, they can do it. I was saying that it was not possible to publish a verbatim report every day in this country, nor would it be possible to publish a verbatim report of any trial day by day. Therefore, I thought it very desirable to have a summary, which I believe can be arranged for, published each day. I am not ruling out the taking of a verbatim report, or the making it available as soon as we can.

Mr. LANSBURY

As the trial starts to-day, it is rather necessary that we should know whether a verbatim report is being taken of the trial. It is important that there should be something more than a summary.

Sir J. SIMON

I hope the Leader of the Opposition does not misunderstand me. I am not in the least opposing the making of a verbatim report, but those of us who have experience in these matters know that you cannot eight hours on end take a verbatim note and produce it for the next day.

Mr. LANSBURY

It is not that I am misunderstanding the right hon. Gentleman. I am afraid that he misunderstands me. I want him to say specifically: Is there at this moment a verbatim report being taken of the proceedings in this trial? If not, why not, as I understood him to promise me that it should be done on behalf of the Government.

Sir J. SIMON

It is not within the possibility of an Ambassador or an Ambassador's staff to make a shorthand report of everything that happens in a long trial. It cannot be done, because the Diplomatic Service does not include a large number of shorthand writers acquainted with every language on the face of the earth. As a practical method, therefore, the report which is made diplomatically is bound to be a record of what happens, and for my part I am perfectly confident the report will be fair. That is not to say that there might not be a complete shorthand note taken—I hope there may be—and if I am able to get one I shall certainly do my best to make it public.

Mr. LANSBURY

When I put a question to the right hon. Gentleman a few clays ago I understood that he was going to arrange, not that the staff of the Embassy would do the work, but that a special staff of shorthand writers would be sent out on behalf of the British Government so that we should have an official record of the proceedings.

Sir J. SIMON

I assure the right hon. Gentleman that I have done everything I can. I thoroughly appreciate the desire of hon. Members. He will realise that there is not an unlimited supply of shorthand writers conversant with the Russian language which it is possible for the diplomatic authorities to engage. We have done our best, and the right hon. Gentleman need have no fear that we have not done our best to get the fullest record possible of the proceedings.

Captain PETER MACDONALD

Have Reuter's or any other agency any representative at the trial?

Mr. SPEAKER

We must get on with Questions.