§ Q5. Mr. Shinwellasked the Prime Minister if he will move to amend the resolution of the House of 14th November, so as to require the Tribunal to consider, in particular, all relevant in- 660 formation about the numbers of Russian agents in the foreign embassies in London, including information about young women sent to Russia who are seduced by gigolos and then blackmailed into serving as agents for the Soviet Union.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Dudley (Mr. Wigg) on 20th of November.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs the Prime Minister aware that I have not seen that Answer? Is he also aware that the language contained in my Question is not my own? It has been extracted from a speech made by the Civil Lord to the Admiralty, who referred to thousands of Russian agents in our embassies and seduction by gigolos which leads to blackmail. In the circumstances will he enlighten us on these matters? Can we be assured that the Civil Lord will be able to utilise this information at his disposal when he appears before the Tribunal?
§ The Prime MinisterI am sure I should be out of order in answering the second part of the supplementary question. With regard to the first part, I must appeal for the right hon. Gentleman's sympathy. I think that my hon. Friend was trying to give a somewhat colourful account of the situation rather than deal in purely statistical information.
§ Mr. WiggWill the Prime Minister be good enough to say whether he has verified that the Civil Lord was fulfilling any particular purpose, or was he seeking to denigrate the Opposition by accusations of this kind to which he then thought that the sub judice rule would prevent any reply?
§ The Prime MinisterI can hardly think that the hon. Gentleman is serious in what he has just said. My hon. Friend made a speech referring in general terms to a great danger. I put it another way, perhaps more precisely, when I said—I fear it is true; we must face it—that there is a massive attack upon our security system.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs the Prime Minister aware that I am as anxious as he is to promote the utmost security in the national interest, but is it not desirable that he should be protected—he asked 661 for my sympathy; he has it in full measure—against what he calls colourful speeches of this character which may give a completely erroneous impression to the people ok of security?
§ The Prime MinisterNo. I think that this matter might well rest where it now is. The right hon. Gentleman has been very patient and very sympathetic. I care very much about having his support in this great question of trying to improve our security. He knows what the difficulties are, both as regards foreign agents here, the privileges which they have, and all the allied problems. What we need now to do after the Tribunal has reported, and even as far as we can before, is to see how we can best tie up the myriad dangers which we face almost every day. There are others not so serious, but each day there is a fear of these attacking us. We want to work together to see how we can improve them.