§ 38. Mr. H. Fraserasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider the introduction of amending legislation to apply the Incitement to Disaffection Act, 1934, to offences committed outside the United Kingdom.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeConduct overseas which, if pursued here, would constitute an offence against the Incitement to Disaffection Act is happily rare, but Her Majesty's Government would not hesitate to take such steps as might be necessary if they were satisfied that the safety of the Realm was becoming imperilled.
§ Mr. FraserDoes my right hon. and gallant Friend agree that in this period of the cold war some protection should be afforded to soldiers overseas and to their relatives at home who suffer from the kind of exploitation of grief that we saw in the recent Paper issued on the subject of the Korean prisoners? Is not some action necessary to prevent a recurrence of the dastardly things which happened in Korea, with the appalling exploitation of honest men and women and their relatives here at home?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI appreciate what my hon. Friend has said. I think the whole House will agree that we should try to prevent such things occurring as were recently reported. I repeat that I shall watch the matter very carefully. If I am satisfied that steps are necessary, I shall not hesitate to take them. In regard to past events, legislation would have to be retrospective, and that is not to be commended in any case if it can be avoided, particularly in criminal cases.