57. Major Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply has been received from the Soviet Government regarding the complaint that German prisoners of war are still detained in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
§ Mr. Ernest DaviesA reply received from the Soviet Government on 2nd October made no attempt to answer the inquiries made in the note of 14th July about the numbers, welfare and whereabouts of German prisoners of war still remaining in the Soviet Union. It simply stated that the assertions were unfounded and repeated the statement issued by Tass on 5th May that all German prisoners of war had been repatriated from the Soviet Union with the exception of some 13,000 convicted or accused of war crimes.
Major LloydIs not the reply of the Soviet Government similar in tone to the reply given by the Soviet Government to the Polish Government when more than 12,000 Polish officers disappeared. Is it not just as certain that many of these German prisoners have suffered the same fate as those unfortunate Polish officers? Are the British Government going to do nothing more in the matter?
§ Mr. DaviesThe reply is, of course, considered to be quite unsatisfactory. As the hon. and gallant Member may know, the matter has been placed on the agenda of the present Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, where it will be debated.
Major LloydWill the Under-Secretary see that the British Government use their influence to have put on the agenda at the same time the fate of these Polish officers? Or are His Majesty's Government not interested?