§ 2.37 p.m.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I beg to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, having regard to their reply in this House on February 15 and again on February 29, the matter of the Communist kidnappings in Berlin was taken up with Mr. Bulganin and Mr. Khrushchev, and if so with what result, seeing that another flagrant instance has recently occurred; and whether the chief offender, a Soviet major, was tamely returned to the Russians despite the protests of the burgomaster of West Berlin.]
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The MARQUESS OF READING)My Lords, as your Lordships will know, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has made it 582 clear in another place, on May 1, that in his view it would not be desirable or helpful to deal in detail and in public with matters raised with the leaders of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during their recent visit. I Jo not think it would be consistent with this view if I were to attempt to answer the first part of the noble Lord's Question.
The noble Lord may be referring in the second part of his Question to a Soviet national named Felichkin, who was arrested on March 16, on suspicion of having been concerned in a case of abduction from the United States sector of Berlin in the middle of last year, and handed over to the Soviet authorities on March 19. This man was a civilian member of the Soviet Occupation Forces. At the time when he was handed back to the Soviet authorities, the evidence that Felichkin had been concerned in a case of abduction was inconclusive. No further evidence has since come to light.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I thank the noble Marquess for his reply. I should be very sorry indeed to think that nothing further can be done to stop this abominable practice of kidnapping. May I hope that the Government will continue to pursue the subject with the Soviet authorities?