§ Mr. Gwilym Jones (Cardiff, North)I beg to ask leave to present two petitions, the first signed by 56 petitioners from the members of St. Michael's church of the parish of Tingwynlais in my constituency, and the second, signed by 85 petitioners, from the Zion Methodist church, Tonypandy.
The two petitions are almost identically worded and refer to Irina Ratushinskaya, who is the subject of two early-day motions— No. 420, in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) and No. 611 in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Hanley).
1145 The poetess is confined in a Soviet labour camp for writing poetry. She is in poor health and, in the view of her husband and fellow prisoners, her life is in danger. The petition concludes:
Wherefore your petitioners pray that your Honourable House will encourage the Foreign Secretary and his colleagues in their representations to the Soviet Government for the purpose of obtaining both the release of Mrs. Ratushinskaya from the labour camp and her urgently needed medical assessment and treatment.I am sure that the petitions have the support of many right hon. and hon. Members. I add my full support to them.