§ 107. Mr. Blackburnasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action has been taken under the peace treaty with Bulgaria in respect of the recent arrest of 15 priests.
Mr. McNeilI assume that my hon. Friend refers to the 15 Protestant pastors who are believed to have been arrested as long ago as last summer, the charges against whom have recently been published.
On 13th January His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Sofia, acting on the instructions of my right hon. Friend, inquired orally of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on what charges these men were being detained and when they were to be tried or released. He pointed out that in the absence of any information from the Bulgarian Government, His 1602 Majesty's Government could not be satisfied that the detention of these men did not in fact represent a violation of Article 2 of the peace treaty. Although repeated on two occasions this inquiry elicited no reply. Since the publication of the indictment against the pastors, which specifically mentions Mr. Burt Andrews, formerly British Consul at Sofia, His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Sofia, on the instructions of my right hon. Friend, addressed a letter to the Bulgarian Minister for Foreign Affairs on 16th February requesting permission for a member of His Majesty's Legation to attend the trial.
§ Mr. SpeakerMr. Blackburn—Question 108.
§ Sir Ronald RossMay I put a supplementary question on Question 107?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member for King's Norton (Mr. Blackburn) did not rise to ask a supplementary question, so I thought I would carry on with the next Question.
§ Sir R. RossMay I point out, Mr. Speaker, that this is the first supplementary question I have wished to ask today?
§ Mr. SpeakerI do not know whether the hon. Member for Londonderry (Sir R. Ross) was here when I made some remarks about supplementary questions. However, I do want to warn the House about it.
§ Mr. StanleyOn a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. Although all of us want to get through Questions—we have got through quite a number very quickly today—surely one supplementary question on each Question is in Order?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe difficulty arises when the hon. Member who puts the Question is satisfied with the reply. He is the person who is most interested in the subject. If he does not ask a supplementary question, I think that as a rule it is not necessary to call another hon. Member.
§ Mr. StanleyFurther to that point of Order. Are we now to regard it as a definite Ruling that if the hon. Member who is asking the Question does not himself wish to ask a supplementary question, no one else will be permitted to do so?
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is not a definite Ruling. I did not think that the hon. Member wanted to ask a supplementary question and I went on to the next Question.
§ Sir R. RossOn that point of Order, Mr. Speaker, I must protest that I am as interested in the fate of Protestant pastors in Bulgaria as is the hon. Member opposite, and perhaps even more. As it is an entirely new subject I thought that I might have been permitted to ask a supplementary question.