§ 11. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of increasing distress arising from the continuous influx of refugees into Western 989 Germany and the difficulty of the Western German Government adequately dealing with the situation, whether His Majesty's Government or the United Nations have considered or will consider afresh conferring with the West German Government with a view to assisting that Government in this problem.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonHis Majesty's Government have considerable sympathy with the German Federal Government in their difficulties, and are participating in the discussions covering this subject recently initiated by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
§ Mr. SorensenCan the Secretary of State say to what extent the Government are prepared to take some active interest in and to render some active service to the solution of this very grave problem, because precisely these conditions, which are being added to by thousands of refugees daily, form the material from which very sinister political parties can arise in the future?
§ Mr. MorrisonThis is a serious problem, as I found when I was in Germany; I quite accept that. On the other hand, we really cannot take the whole burden on the shoulders of His Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. SorensenI am not suggesting that.
§ Mr. Ian WinterbottomWill my right hon. Friend sympathetically consider any initiative coming from the Commonwealth or some organ of the United Nations, such as the I.R.O., the purpose of which is to arrange for the re-settlement of these people in the less densely populated areas of the world?
§ Mr. MorrisonWe should regard such suggestions sympathetically.
§ Captain RyderWill not the sending of additional divisions to Germany make the problem even worse, and is it not likely to create bad feeling between us and the Germans? Would it not be better to have some constructive plan now?