HC Deb 14 July 1952 vol 503 cc1789-90
15. Mr. Emrys Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what evidence he proposes to submit to the United Nations organisation committee investigating the question of forced labour.

Mr. Nutting

Her Majesty's Government have, at the request of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, answered a questionnaire from the committee, and provided certain documents such as copies of the Corrective Labour Codex of the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic and evidence of the use of forced labour in the Soviet Union and the Soviet-dominated States of Eastern Europe.

Mr. Hughes

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that forced labour is conscripted from Scotland, taken to Korea and employed there in the form of conscripted soldiers? Will he take that form of forced labour into consideration and present that to the committee?

Mr. Nutting

That would not be in accordance with the terms of reference to the committee about which the hon. Member has asked me. That is a committee which was set up to study the nature and extent of the problem raised by the existence in the world of systems of forced or corrective labour which are employed as a means of politicial coercion or punishment for the holding of political views.

Mr. Woodburn

Reports have appeared in the Press of material which has been presented to the United Nations on this subject. Could that information be made available to Members in the Library, so that they can study it?

Mr. Nutting

I think that this evidence is already available because the United Nations documents which contain it are received by the House of Commons Library, but I will make certain that that is so.