§ 14. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can now make a statement indicating the legal basis of the screening of the North Korean and Chinese prisoners of war.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydNo legal basis is required for the screening of prisoners of war. By Article 17 of the 1949 Geneva Convention every prisoner of war "is bound to give only his surname, first names and rank, date of birth, and army, regimental, personal or serial number, or failing this, equivalent information." This, however, only specifies what a prisoner of war is bound to give. It constitutes no limitation on what he may give voluntarily.
There is nothing in the Convention to prevent questions on other matters being addressed to prisoners. The sole effect of the Convention is that if a prisoner refuses to answer questions on other 1288 matters, the captor must accept this and not try to extract further information.
From the inquiries which I made in Korea, I am satisfied that no attempt was made to extract from prisoners of war information which they were not willing to give.
§ Mr. DribergWhile I am very glad to have got that answer out of the right hon. and learned Gentleman at last, could he explain why he has been so silent and evasive in this matter in the past, and particularly why on 25th June he referred me back to an answer of 23rd June which contained no reference whatever to this subject?