§ 2.35 p.m.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government how many British representatives and British subjects have been expelled from, or asked to leave, Poland, Hungary and Roumania respectively in the last two years, and whether it is a fact that, as stated by Warsaw Radio at the turn of the year, five British representatives were asked to leave Poland alone following the trial of Captain Turner.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD HENDERSON)My Lords, the numbers of British subjects, official and unofficial, who have been expelled from or asked to leave Poland, Hungary and Roumania in the last two years are eight, fourteen and four respectively. With regard to the second part of the Question, in connection with the trial of Group Captain Turner the Polish Government declared two officials persona non gratœ and intimated that two more officials would have been similarly declared persona non gratœ if they had not already been on the point of leaving in accordance with routine arrangements.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, as these exchanges have already gone pretty far, would it not be possible to consider intimating that in future, in the case of unfounded charges against members of our staff, we would "crack down" altogether on the Mission of the offending country here?
§ LORD HENDERSONMy Lords, the position of His Majesty's Government is as I think I stated on November 14 last —namely, that His Majesty's Government 1100 consider each individual case on its merits as it arises. But perhaps I ought to inform the noble Lord that in this particular case the Polish Government were recently requested to withdraw within three days two members of the Polish Mission in London.
§ LORD VANSITTARTOf course, what I had in mind in asking this Question was to try and stop altogether this rather foolish and humiliating procedure.