HC Deb 17 March 1969 vol 780 cc25-6
32. Mr. Brooks

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of those occasions since 194? on which the Four Power Agreements relating to the administration of Berlin have been breached; and on how many of these occasions have official protests been made by one or more of the Four Powers concerned.

Mr. Goronwy Roberts

It would not be possible to provide information about all the occasions since 1945 without a disproportionate amount of research and expense. With permission, I will therefore arrange to have a list of the protests against infringements of the quadripartite status of Berlin since the beginning of 1966 circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Brooks

Would my hon. Friend indicate what is the balance of protest between the two sides? Secondly, in view of the behaviour of the East German Government and East German troops during the Czech crisis of last summer, will my hon. Friend indicate what protection exists for members of the United Nations, including Czechoslovakia, Britain, France and the United States, against provocative action take by East German troops?

Mr. Roberts

On the second point, the protection is what is laid down, partly by the Four Power Agreement on Berlin, and partly by other international instruments. On my hon. Friend's first point, I think there were three protests by the United States, this country and France for every two by the Soviet Union.

Following is the list:

PROTESTS BY THE UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED STATES AND FRANCE
Date Circumstances
1st May, 1966 May Day military parades in East Berlin.
13th August, 1966 Anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall.
1st December, 1966 French protest after one of their patrols had had tear gas thrown at it by East German Border guards.
30th January, 1967 Shooting incidents at the Wall.
1st May, 1967 May Day military parade in East Berlin.
29th October, 1967 Military parade in East Berlin.
19th April, 1968 East German decree restricting access to Berlin for certain categories of Federal German officials.
28th April, 1968 Herr Schütz, the Governing Mayor of West Berlin, was turned back on autobahn.
3rd July, 1968 Travel restrictions.
13th August, 1968 Anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall.
31st August, 1968 Allied officers prevented from entering East Berlin.
21st November, 1968 East German military parade in East Berlin.
25th February, 1969 East German military participation in laying a wreath at Soviet war memorial.
2nd March, 1969 East German military activities in East Berlin.
5th March, 1969 Access restrictions at the time of Bundesversammlung.