HC Deb 18 November 1959 vol 613 cc1153-4
39. Mr. Swingler

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, in his discussions with Chancellor Adenauer, he will draw attention to the appointment of former Nazis to judicial positions in Germany, and urge that action be taken to replace them.

10. Mr. A. Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what date he received the additional information sent to him by the hon. Member for West Ham, North, containing documents, photostats and charges against existing West German jurists that they collaborated with the Hitler régime and were responsible for crimes against humanity; and, since this information and that previously sent to him involve charges affecting some 1,000 former Nazi judges, and the West German Government have not yet supplied him with their promised report on the investigation into these charges, if he will, during the official visit of Chancellor Adenauer on 17th November, raise this matter with him, with a view to obtaining a complete answer to all of the cases mentioned in the documents submitted.

Mr. R. Allan

The documents referred to by the hon. Member for West Ham. North (Mr. A. Lewis) were received on 9th November. They have been referred to our Embassy in Bonn as this is a matter for the Federal German Government.

I cannot disclose what subjects may be discussed during my right hon. Friend's confidential exchange of views with Dr. Adenauer.

Mr. Swingler

Will the Joint Under-Secretary ask his right lion, and learned Friend to use the opportunity of these conversations with Chancellor Adenauer to impress on him that one of the best contributions to improving Anglo-German relations would be to root out of power former German militarists and Nazis in Germany and to provide the long-promised reform, which has been repeatedly mentioned in this House and on the need for which evidence has been constantly submitted to the Foreign Office?

Mr. Allan

I have no doubt that my right hon. and learned Friend heard the earlier part of the hon. Gentleman's remarks. We have not indicated that we would issue a report. What we have done is to refer to statements made by the Land Ministers of Justice in the Federal Republic who said that they would investigate all these reports as they came up, and are continuing to do so. They will not give us reports on individual cases.