§ Mr. Richard Ottaway (Nottingham, North)I wish formally to present two petitions on behalf of the members of St. Mary's church in Nottingham and another on behalf of the residents of the county of Nottinghamshire, who pray
That the poetess Irina Ratushinskaya is confined in a Soviet labour camp because of writing poetry, that she is in very poor health and in the view of her husband and her fellow prisoners her life is in danger.They continue to pray that the Foreign Secretary will work for her release.Anyone with an ounce of humanity, no matter of what political conviction or origin, would be appalled at the grounds of imprisonment of Irina Ratushinskaya and the conditions in which she is kept. I give my wholehearted support to the petition and I hope that her release will be on the agenda during the forthcoming visit of the Soviet Foreign Minister.
To lie upon the Table.