§ 49. Mr. Llewellynasked the Minister of Defence whether he will publish details of types of equipment abandoned by the Chinese in North Korea and captured by the United Nations forces indicating the country of origin of each.
§ The Minister of Defence (Mr. Shinwell)No, Sir. While we have plenty of information about the different types of equipment used by the Chinese Communist forces which has now fallen into our hands, I do not think it would be in the public interest to publish details. Much of the equipment was originally captured by the Chinese Communist forces from the Chinese Nationalist forces or from the United Nations forces themselves. The equipment is of miscellaneous origin and includes items of Japanese, Russian, American and German manufacture.
§ Mr. LlewellynWill the Minister say why he does not consider it to be in the public interest that the people of this country should know with what weapons and supplies our own people are being shot down?
§ Mr. ShinwellIf information about types of captured equipment could be confined to the people of this country, that would be all right; but it is not desirable—that is the opinion of my military advisers—that some other countries should know.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesIs the Minister aware that at the inquiry in the United States a document was published showing that a very large quantity of guns, mortars and all kinds of munitions of war had been captured by the Chinese from the Americans? This is all to be found in "The New York Times" of last week, and it is just as probable that our soldiers and American soldiers are being shot down by munitions and guns produced in the United States.
Air Commodore HarveyWill the Minister of Defence say whether the Russian type of fighter, the MIG.15, has been captured? I do not ask for details, but has such an aircraft been captured?
§ Mr. ShinwellI think not.