HC Deb 15 December 1938 vol 342 cc2180-2
Mr. A. V. Alexander

(by Private Notice) asked the Prime Minister whether he will lay a White Paper before the Debate on Monday next containing those communications which have passed between His Majesty's Government and the Governments of Germany and Italy between 31st August and 15th October not hitherto published, relative to the Czechoslovakian crisis.

The Prime Minister

The House has been kept fully informed by means of speeches of Ministers and the laying of two White Papers (Cmd. 5847 and Cmd. 5848) of the main communications which have passed between His Majesty's Government and the two Governments concerned. There would not appear to be any justification for a further White Paper.

Mr. Alexander

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that while we were grateful for the receipt of the two White Papers in question, they did not contain, in our judgment, the whole of the effective correspondence at that time and certainly not all the effective answers of the two Governments concerned? Is not this House entitled to have those Papers laid before it?

The Prime Minister

I have had the Papers examined, and I have not been able to find that there is anything which the House ought to have in the way of information which it has not got already. If there is any particular point on which the right hon. Gentleman thinks that further information ought to be given, perhaps he will let me know, and I will consider it.

Mr. Wedgwood Benn

Has the Prime Minister observed that we have had very little information as to the way in which the Munich Agreement was implemented in the Inter-Allied Commission, and that we do not know what was done under the seven heads? Information of that kind is obviously important, and it is on those matters that information would be very useful.

Miss Wilkinson

Shall we be allowed to know what are these frontiers that we have guaranteed?

The Prime Minister

There is a further White Paper which deals with the final settlement of the German-Czech problem, with a map, which has been promised and which will be laid.

Miss Wilkinson

May I ask the Prime Minister, in view of the importance to the Debate that we should know what we have guaranteed, whether that map with these frontiers will be in our hands by Monday?

The Prime Minister

I cannot say, but we did not ask for the Debate on Monday.

Mr. Alexander

I hope the Prime Minister will not deal with it in that spirit. He knows that the matter is very important and that the House is entitled to be consulted, and if we have a Debate asked for by the House, which is within its rights, surely we ought to have the information required?

The Prime Minister

I believe the House has all the information which it requires.

Miss Wilkinson

On a point of Order. As a Member of this House, Mr. Speaker, I ask your protection. We are having a Debate on Monday on a matter of the very gravest importance to European affairs, and the Chief Whip throws across the House, "What has the Czech frontier to do with it?" Surely that is one of the most important matters that we shall have to debate, and I ask that we should have that information before the Debate takes place.