§ 10. Mr. Mayhewasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make representations to the Soviet Government regarding the expulsion of Mr. Peter Johnson, Reuter's chief correspondent, from Moscow.
§ Mr. P. ThomasRepresentations have already been made to the Soviet authorities, making clear our concern at the Soviet action.
§ Mr. MayhewWill not the Minister ask his right hon. Friend to press the Russians, repeatedly if necessary, to accept the principle that correspondents from this country to the Soviet Union should have the same freedom in every respect: as Soviet correspondents have in this country—that is to say, not only freedom to write without fear of expulsion or being refused re-entry, but freedom to broadcast and to speak publicly as Soviet correspondents do in this country?
§ Mr. ThomasYes. We certainly accept those principles, and I expressed them to the Soviet Ambassador when he came to see me.
§ Mr. ShinwellWhy do we object to somebody being expelled from the Soviet Union when we also object to anyone coming here from East Germany?
§ Mr. ThomasEven the right hon. Gentleman will agree that those are not two parallel cases.