HL Deb 29 July 1946 vol 142 cc1113-4

7.26 p.m.

LORD BEVERIDGE

I beg to ask the question standing in my name.

The question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government, whether their attention has been called to an article in Pravda, broadcast from Moscow, of which a translation appeared in the Manchester Guardian on March 22, 1946, purporting amongst other things to describe a trial and condemnation in Cyprus of 18 trade union leaders, in regard to whom it was declared by the prosecution that, under the law of Cyprus, the holding of Marxist theory and possession of Marxist literature are crimes; whether the law of Cyprus was correctly stated by the prosecutor; and whether His Majesty's Government propose to take any action in the matter.]

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DOMINION AFFAIRS (VISCOUNT ADDISON)

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for drawing attention to the article in question, and for the opportunity of correcting any misapprehensions which there may be. These individuals were convicted on a charge of being members of an unlawful association, in that they were encouraging by propaganda the overthrow of the Government of Cyprus by violence. The advocacy of Marxist theory and the possession of Marxist books are not, as such, offences under the Cyprus law. I understand that, during the course of the trial, a statement to the contrary was made by the prosecution: I am informed, however, that the intention was to convey that Marxist literature as interpreted by the accused and propagated in their documents constituted an offence under the provisions of the Cyprus law. I am advised that the Cyprus law relating to seditious propaganda is similar to the law of England. His Majesty's Government do not, therefore, propose to take any action in the matter.

LORD BEVERIDGE

My Lords, in thanking the noble Viscount for his answer, may I ask whether that means that the statement of Cyprus law as contained in this report is a figment of the imagination either of the prosecutor or of the person making the report, and that the condemnation of these eighteen persons was for an entirely different crime than that which is set out in my question?

VISCOUNT ADDISON

The conviction of the persons concerned was as I have described in my answer. The statement as to the law of Cyprus being similar to the law of England is correct and any other statement to the contrary is incorrect.

House adjourned at half past seven o'clock.