HC Deb 11 February 1969 vol 777 cc1114-5
Q1. Mr. Wyatt

asked the Prime Minister when the hon. Member for Bosworth may expect a reply to his letter dated 13th January, 1969, about co-ordination between the relevant Government Departments in inquiries into air accidents.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Wilson)

My hon. Friend's letter to which I am replying referred to the accident at Gibraltar in 1943, in which General Sikorski was killed, and certain current allegations of British complicity in this matter. He will realise that I must not prejudice the legal proceedings which are now pending in this connection. But I can say that I know of no evidence to imply that the crash of the Liberator at Gibraltar was other than a genuine accident.

Mr. Wyatt

Would it be possible to have another inquiry, in view of all the technological advances which have been made since the war, so that there can be disposed of the monstrous charges that Mr. Churchill organised the murder of his friend, General Sikorski, based on allegations made by a German playwright and founded on a document which he says exists in a Swiss bank and which he will not allow anyone to see; nor will he give the name of the bank?

The Prime Minister rose

—

Sir G. Nabarro

Send it to a Select Committee.

The Prime Minister

Despite the levity of the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro), this is a very serious matter. [HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."]

There was a report to the House of Commons at the time by the then Under-Secretary of State for Air. I have read—and it took some hours—the whole of the inquiry and every single deposition and answer by every witness. I stand by what I have said. There is no evidence at all that there is any need or reason to reopen the inquiry.

In the light of what I have said, the allegations to which my hon. Friend has referred should be dismissed and brushed aside with the contempt they deserve.

Sir A. V. Harvey

In view of the wide publicity the matter is getting and since, as the Prime Minister rightly said, there will probably be law suits pending, could not the Government help to give a lead by publishing documents which will be available?

The Prime Minister

I do not think that that is necessary. It would be totally opposed to all our practice in these matters. There was a report to the House. I have read the information in great detail and it really is for those who are bandying these allegations about to produce some shred of evidence to suggest that the wartime Government, the then Under-Secretary of State for Air and those responsible for the inquiry were wrong in their findings. If there were such evidence, it would have to be considered, but so far not a single shred of evidence has been produced apart from a highly scurrilous play and some rather silly letters about it in the Press.