HC Deb 15 April 1953 vol 514 cc177-9
8. Mr. A. Henderson

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to make a statement on the Korean armistice discussions.

20. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to make a statement on the present position of the negotiations in Korea for the exchange of prisoners.

Mr. Selwyn Lloyd

I would ask the right hon. and learned Member and the hon. and learned Member to await the reply which the Prime Minister will give to Question No. 45.

Mr. Hughes

On a point of order. Question No. 20 is my Question and I was given no information that it would be answered by a different Minister. I should like to ask your guidance, Mr. Speaker, as to what is the proper procedure. Should I not have received such information?

Mr. Speaker

When Questions are transferred from one Department to another it is desirable that Ministers should give as early notice as possible. Beyond saying that, I cannot help the hon. and learned Member.

19. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what advances have been made to date towards peace in Korea; and what matters of disagreement are now outstanding between the respective parties to the present negotiations there.

Mr. Selwyn Lloyd

On the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the statement of the Prime Minister on 1st April and would also ask him to await the reply which the Prime Minister will give to Question No. 45 as regards later developments. On the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply given to his similar Question on 25th February.

Mr. Hughes

With regard to the answer to the first part of the Question, in view of the fact that these disagreements have proceeded so long, is not it time the Foreign Secretary took some new initiative which would have a more fruitful result in bringing about the peace which the world desires?

Mr. Lloyd

I should think that at the present moment there could not be a more inappropriate supplementary question.

45. Mr. Donnelly

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a further statement on the progress of the Korean truce talks.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Winston Churchill)

I am glad to be able to report that since my statement of 1st April an agreement has been reached at Panmunjom between the liaison groups on both sides for the exchange of certain sick and wounded prisoners. Under this agreement, which was signed on 11th April, both sides undertake to start the delivery of sick and wounded prisoners at Panmunjom on 20th April and to complete the process by 20 days thereafter. The United Nations Command will hand over 5,800 Communist prisoners and the Communists 600 United Nations prisoners. The House will agree with me that this is a welcome and encouraging development.

About the resumption of the main armistice negotiations, I hope to be able to make a statement to the House in the near future.

Mr. Donnelly

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there will be universal satisfaction about the first part of his answer, and will he accept the best wishes of everybody on this side for a speedy furtherance of the second part concerning the statement he hopes to make to the House in the near future?

Mr. Hector Hughes

May I ask the Prime Minister whether, as stated earlier, he was answering Question No. 20 in addition to Question No. 45?

Mr. Speaker

Question No. 20 was answered by the Minister of State.

Mr. Hughes

On a point of order. I understood the Minister of State to say that the Prime Minister would answer my Question No. 20 with Question No. 45.

Mr. Speaker

The Minister asked the hon. and learned Gentleman to await the answer to Question No. 45 which would come later. The reason I called the hon. and learned Gentleman to ask his supplementary was because his Question No. 20 was on the same matter. If he will now ask his supplementary, perhaps he will get an answer.

Mr. Hughes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister state what is the actual arrangement with regard to the exchange of prisoners? Is the idea to exchange man-for-man, or is the arrangement only to apply to the sick and wounded?

The Prime Minister

The man-for-man basis would not have led to any conclusion at all in view of the fact that we have 10 times as many prisoners as the other side.

Mr. Chetwynd

Can the Prime Minister give the number of British prisoners of war who will be repatriated?

The Prime Minister

I am speaking without reference to exact notes, but I think it is only about 20.