HC Deb 12 February 1958 vol 582 cc384-5
58. Mr. Baird

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has yet considered the second interim report of the United Nations Committee investigating the Bang-Jensen case; and, as that Committee has now come to the conclusion that the documents are of doubtful validity, if he will now withdraw the abridged report of the United Nations Special Committee on Hungary published by his Department.

Commander Noble

My right hon. and learned Friend has considered the two interim reports of the Committee of Investigation. They deal only with Mr. Bang-Jensen's handling of certain papers. The reports do not in any way cast doubt either on the bona fides of the witnesses who appeared before the Special Committee on Hungary, or on the evidence considered by that Committee, or on the validity of its report. The answer to the second part of the Question is therefore "No, Sir."

Mr. Baird

As the first report of this Committee states categorically The same irresponsibility which has marked his method of handling the papers may have brought about their alteration or defacement in respects impossible now to ascertain. Accordingly such information as may now be embodied in them is no longer entitled to credence. and as to a certain extent the report was based on this evidence which is now of doubtful validity, surely the whole report should be withdrawn and the matter looked at once again?

Commander Noble

The papers which Mr. Bang-Jensen retained in his personal custody contained material which might have identified Hungarian witnesses who wished to remain anonymous, as was, I think, natural in the circumstances. The Committee thinks he handled those papers in such a way that they might have been tampered with and the Committee, therefore, ordered that they should be destroyed, and that was carried out on 24th January. I think the implications of the hon. Member's Questions have done a disservice not only to the people of Hungary, but to the United Nations whose Committee produced such an excellent report.

Mr. S. Silverman

Having regard to the fact that the reports which have appeared about this document in both The Times and the Manchester Guardian give a very different picture of its contents from the one which the right hon. and gallant Gentleman has just given to the House, will he see that the whole report is made available as a White Paper published by the Government so that we can all form our own opinion as to whether the right hon. and gallant Gentleman is right or wrong in the supplementary answer he has just given?

Commander Noble

I think that if the hon. Member will study my reply and the report he will find that I am right. I will certainly give consideration to the question he raised about a White Paper.

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