HC Deb 07 February 1955 vol 536 cc1523-4
5. Mr. Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why Her Majesty's Government agreed with the representatives of the Governments of the United States of America and France to hand over the archives of the former concentration camps to the Bonn Government.

Mr. Turton

Arrangements for the future of the International Tracing Service, which at present holds these archives, are still under negotiation between the United States, the United Kingdom, French, Belgian, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italian, Israeli and Federal German Governments. No agreement has yet been reached.

Mr. Lewis

While appreciating the fact that as yet these archives have not been handed back and that negotiations are still going on, may I ask whether the Minister will promise to do all he can to see that, if they eventually go back to the Bonn Government, they are preserved and not destroyed by that Government?

Mr. Turton

That is the purpose of these negotiations. The importance of these documents is very well understood by the Governments concerned.