33. Mr. Baker Whiteasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what report the security authorities gave before Mr. Maclean and Mr. Burgess were appointed to the posts held by them on their disappearance.
§ Mr. NuttingThe security authorities were not asked to report on Mr. Maclean and Mr. Burgess immediately before their last appointments, but a security check had been made on Mr. Burgess some months earlier and it was negative in its result. The very strict checks now being applied in the Foreign Office were not then in force, but, as was stated by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. H. Morrison) on 9th July, 1951, the Government at that time were not aware of these officials 18 having had any association with Communist circles of a kind which threw doubt on their reliability.