HC Deb 30 June 1952 vol 503 cc25-6
40. Mr. Swingler

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he expects to receive the report of the United Nations commission of inquiry into events on Koje Island; and if this report will be made available to hon. Members.

Mr. Selwyn Lloyd

I would ask the hon. Gentleman to await the publication of the White Paper which is to be presented to the House this evening. This Paper contains an account of events on Koje drawn in part from the report by the United Nations Commander.

Mr. Swingler

Does that mean that the commission of inquiry have completed their work and that a report has been made to the United Nations Commander?

Mr. Lloyd

The United Nations Commander made his report and I think that that report was presented to a Congressional body in the United States and has been published. In the White Paper there will be a section dealing with events in Koje which contains a rather abbreviated form of that report.

Mr. Swingler

Is not that the report by the United Nations Commander? Did he not also set up a commission of inquiry after the kidnapping of General Dodd and has that commission of inquiry reported, apart from the report given by the General Officer Commanding to the United States Congress?

Mr. Lloyd

I do not think that there was a commission of inquiry. I think it was treated by the United Nations as a military matter and an inquiry was made as a result of which the Commander made his report.

Mr. S. Silverman

Would the right hon. and learned Gentleman consider whether, with the report he has published as a White Paper, there could be distributed in some form in the House or placed in the Libary the report of the inquiry made by the Red Cross into the handling of this matter some time ago and to which far less than adequate publicity was ever given in this country?

Mr. Lloyd

The hon. Member will be glad to hear that we have drawn attention to that report and have made reference to it in the White Paper.