VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I beg leave 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 they can state the present position of the Mixed Committee set up to consider applications for an extension of time for the disposal of certain assets of Herr Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach under the 1953 Deconcentration Agreement and whether the report and deliberations of the Committee will in due course be published.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE)My Lords, the position is still as described in the reply given by my noble friend on November 10. The Committee has granted an extension of time up to January 31, 1960, and has under consideration an application for an extension beyond that date. It will be for the Committee itself to decide whether its deliberations should be made public, and for the four Governments to decide whether any report that the Committee may make to them should be published.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I beg to thank the noble Marquess for his Answer. Is the noble Marquess aware that while he was away, doing, if I may say so, a good job in Indonesia, I asked the noble Earl, Lord Perth, whether, in order that the public should know precisely what had been the arguments used by Herr Krupp, the report of the deliberations should be published; and is the noble Marquess aware that in his reply the noble Earl, Lord Perth, said twice that the Government would bear 374 very much in mind the importance of possibly having the report made public?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, as I think your Lordships are aware, a decision as to whether a Report will or will not be published, in the event of such a report being submitted, is a matter for the four Governments together to decide; and I am sure your Lordships will agree that it would be very improper for me to anticipate a decision that has to be reached together by four Governments.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, would the noble Marquess indicate whether the Government are aware that Dr. Adenauer has sent a congratulatory message to Herr Krupp, as he did to the other Nazi industrialist who was convicted not only of using slave labour but of flogging it?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, I have no information whatsoever on this subject.
§ VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, is the noble Marquess aware that this is not a technical point at all; that it appears possible that Herr Krupp can build up again a great munitions industry, and possibly even nuclear power? And is the noble Marquess aware that this has been the subject of complaint by the Russian Government within the last 48 hours?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, with great respect to the noble Viscount, I really do not think that that supplementary arises out of the original Question.