HC Deb 05 May 1969 vol 783 cc19-20
22. Mr. Eldon Griffiths

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on his inquiries into the condition of Mr. Gerald Brooke, and his prospects for release.

Mr. M. Stewart

A visit to Mr. Brooke by Her Majesty's Consul in Moscow is taking place today.

Mr. Griffiths

I am sure that the whole House will be relieved to hear that the Consul is being granted access. Since the the Anglo-Soviet Convention requires, under Article 36, that there should be this access, and protocol is that it should be on a recurrent basis, will my hon. Friend say whether he regards this visit as the first of many on a recurrent basis which Mr. Brooke will have by right, as otherwise the Soviet Union will be in breach of the spirit if not of the letter of the Convention?

Mr. Stewart

That is our view. The Convention provides for access on a recurrent basis. We have not been able to agree with the Soviet authorities an interpretation of this phrase in terms of frequency of visits. That question is still under discussion. But I agree that the spirit of the Convention is that they should be reasonably frequent.

Mr. Russell Kerr

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Soviet Union is not the only place where British nationals are incarcerated? Five British nationals have been incarcerated in Bari in Southern Italy for the past 16 months. Will the Foreign Secretary continue to press for their release?

Mr. Stewart

Yes, Sir. I think that there is another Question about that today.

Sir D. Walker-Smith

In view of the Foreign Secretary's discouraging answer to Question No. 14, will he now specify the modifications or recisions of Anglo-Russian cultural arrangements which will follow if Mr. Gerald Brooke is prosecuted a second time?

Mr. Stewart

No, Sir. I have already spoken to the House about the serious consequences which would follow if that were to happen. I do not believe that it would be helpful to Mr. Brooke for me to say anything further at present.