HC Deb 24 March 1947 vol 435 cc833-5
11. Mr. Stokes

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now publish the terms of the secret agreement entered into at Yalta between the right hon. Member for Woodford (Mr. Churchill), President Roosevelt and Marshal Stalin with regard to the use of German labour as reparations.

15. Mr. Michael Foot

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the claim made by Mr. Molotov at the Moscow Conference that secret agreements were made at the Yalta Conference on the subject of German reparations and kindred matters; and whether he will give to the House a full list of the secret clauses accepted by the right hon. Member for Woodford (Mr. Churchill), at the Yalta Conference.

Mr. McNeil

After the Crimea Conference a communiqué was issued summarising the results of the discussions. The communiqué included a short statement that Germany should be obliged to make compensation for damage caused to the Allied nations in the war. A protocol was agreed to amplify this decision. I am now arranging for a copy of the whole agreement reached at the Crimea Conference, including this protocol, to be published as a White Paper. I am also arranging for the publication as a White Paper of the complete text of the agreement reached at the Potsdam Conference.

Mr. Michael Foot

Could my right hon. Friend confirm whether this secret agreement made provision for the use of German labour as reparations; and, since this is the second or third secret agreement, news of which has subsequently leaked out, could he also say whether he is quite sure that there were not some other private deals entered into by the right hon. Member for Woodford at Yalta?

Mr. McNeil

In answer to the second part of that supplementary question, I can only repeat that we are arranging for the publication of the two complete agreements. In answer to the first part, it is true that the Crimea Conference agreement did deal with prisoner-of-war labour.

Mr. Stokes

Is my right hon. Friend aware that we have been given repeated assurances from the former Foreign Secretary that there were no secret agreements of any kind—and, I think, by the right hon. Member for Woodford—and can he explain how His Majesty's Government came to make such a statement, and that now we find there arc secret agreements—of which some of us, in fact, had knowledge?

Mr. McNeil

Happily, I am only asked about, and can only answer for, this Government.

Mr. McGovern

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the right hon. Member for Woodford said there were no secret agreements; and is it not very humiliating that the texts of these secret agreements should come from America, and that Members of Parliament and the people of this country should be deprived of knowledge of these secret agreements?

Major Bruce

Will my right hon. Friend say whether there are any further protocols, which will be published sooner or later?

Mr. McNeil

I have said that we are publishing the complete texts of these two agreements.