§ 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 Her Majesty's Government whether, prior to two recent expulsions, the Soviet Government had been maintaining fourteen air, military and naval attachés in this country.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE EARL OF MUNSTER)My Lords, I have been asked to reply. Since the end of March there have been fifteen Soviet attachés on the staff of the Soviet Embassy. As the noble Lord is aware, two attachés, Major Gudkov and Major Pupyshev, have recently been withdrawn at Her Majesty's Government's request. This has reduced the figure to thirteen.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, if I am right in believing that the corresponding number of attachés we have in Moscow is seven, would there not be something to be said for the adoption of parity in this matter, as a relative safeguard?
THE EARL OF MANSFIELDMy Lords, surely we shall adopt a strict rationing system for military, naval and 734 air attachés towards countries whose attitude towards our own is, to say the least of it, ambiguous.
§ THE EARL OF MUNSTERMy Lords, in reply to the noble Lord who asked the Question, I may say he is correct in believing that the number of Service attachés at present on the staff of Her Majesty's Embassy in Moscow is seven. As regards the corresponding number of Soviet Service attachés on the staff of the Soviet Embassy in London, I agree with the noble Lord; but I would go further and say that we must keep watch on that number and that we should be reluctant now to see it increased.
§ VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, will the noble Earl do his best to prevent the transplanting of the spy scare to this country?
§ THE EARL OF MUNSTERThat seems to me to have nothing whatever to do with the original Question.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, may I add that this seems to be something more substantial than a scare.
§ VISCOUNT STANSGATEThat is what they say elsewhere.